Hundreds brave EU's longest river as part of Budapest's Urban Games

Participants getting ready to jump into the Danube. /Reuters/

A man jumping into the fast-flowing river. /Reuters/

A group of people jumping into the Danube. Participants were restricted to groups of 20-25 people at a time. /Reuters/

One of the perks of this event was that swimmers could see the city's bridges from a unique angle. /Reuters/

Participants were also restricted to a 430 meters area of the river. /Reuters/

Over 700 people jumped into the Danube in Budapest as part of the country's Urban Games, an event meant to encourage residents to use the city's waterways, roads and parks for sports.

On 29 August, between 20-25 swimmers were allowed to jump in at a time as a precaution against COVID-19.

Swimmers were also restricted to a 430 meters area of the river, which is the longest in the EU.

Despite this restriction, they were still able to have a unique view of the city's famous bridges.

Istvan Kovacs, a 50-year-old former Olympic boxer, told Reuters: "If you try once, you will feel the power of the river, and it's amazing... how strong and fast the river is.

"To swim in our beautiful river... it's a great feeling."

Boriska Darvai, another swimmer who had participated in the event previously, said: "It's a fantastic experience to see the Danube and our city from that angle."

Source(s): Reuters