In 1968 the then Port Talbot Borough Council wrote to all Sporting and
Social Clubs in the town, to each organise an event to celebrate the
Investiture of HRH Prince Charles, now King Charles III, becoming the
Prince of Wales the following year (1969). Aberavon Green Stars RFC,
thanks to two members of the Aberavon Green Stars committee Mr Tim
and Bernard Donovan, came up with the idea of a running and swimming
event, starting at the clubhouse running to the water’s edge and swimming
around the North pier and running back to the clubhouse.

The first event 29th June 1969 was so popular that the Green Stars RFC
decided to make it an annual event, now enjoyed as one of the town’s
biggest sporting events annually, with thousands of spectators watching
the event in all weathers. That first event saw 20 competitors compete for
the Investiture Cup and was eventually won by Robbie Phillips in 18 min
11 seconds.

Who ever heard of a Biathlon then? Who ever thought that it would have
lasted to the present day? But it has, and that has been largely due to one
man...Mr. Bernard Donovan. It has been no mean feat for someone to be
involved for so long as the swim organiser and at the forefront of this now international event.

In those early days the event was extensively competed for by our own
players, club members and the local swimming fraternity in Port Talbot
namely, Aberavon Surf Lifesaving Club, and Aberavon Swimming Club,
but now it is a much wider open event.

Rules of the event over the years have played their part shaping the
history of the event. It was firstly for resident swimmers in the town, but on
its fourth year, a swimmer from Sweeden, Jorgen Latte, won the event and
he took the Investiture Cup back home to Sweden. Luckily, we had the
cup back!!

Time and tide wait for no man (pardon the pun), and we realised very early
on that we could not keep the same date and time every year...as one year
the tide was out!

Age, sex discrimination and team entrants have all played their part along
with controversy of the event. With housing developments and new North
pier coastal defence structures, and even the route has changed several
times, thus creating the conundrum who has the fastest time ever. But it
has all shaped what the event is today.

It goes without mention, that up to the 2024 event, out of the 13 overall past
winners in the event’s history, John Baker has won it the most times
with 12 wins. The first and only woman to date to win the overall event
was Miss Emily Gleaves in 2002. Since the new millennia, both Nicky Thomas and Garod Thomas have equally dominated the event.

International swimmers / triathletes like Marc Jenkins from Bridgend, who
competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics, has won the event twice. Our home grown Welsh international swimmer, from Baglan, Dean Morgan
won it four times.

Event organiser Bernard Donovan competed 39 times in the event from
1969 – 2009, missing only one year due to a broken leg. He was 75 when
he retired from swimming. He holds the record for the greatest number of
events entered and winning the oldest competitor for most of that time
period.

It is only fitting that I put on record our grateful thanks to the RNLI,
Aberavon Surf Lifesaving Club, Aberavon Canoe Club and in the latter
years, the Coastguards. For without their safety cover of the event there
would have been no event.

In 2016 the mantle of 'event organiser' passed to the Club President, Cllr. Matt Crowley. A former Lifeguard, triathlete and competitor of the event himself, winning the Aberavon Green Stars club event on many occasions.

The year 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the event. The Committee of
Aberavon Green Stars RFC, in honour of the commitment and dedication to this event and to that of the club all his life, decided that we would rename the swim - 'THE BERNARD DONOVAN AROUD THE PIER
SWIM'.

Long may this event continue for the next 50 years.

Cllr Matt Crowley
Club President
Event Organiser
March 2026