Thursday, October 23, 2008

Incredibly Scenic Utah Open Water Swimming

The global open water swimming community is familiar with events like the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim on the East Coast and the La Jolla Rough Water Swim in California. Additionally, open water swims like the Pennock Island Challenge in Alaska and the Cascade Lakes Swim Series in Oregon are attracting an increasing number of participants and media attention.

Now Utah has joined the open water swimming community with a safe, enjoyable event. An enjoyable and beautiful open water swimming event is held in Deer Creek State Park in the state of Utah in August. The Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim offers 1-mile, 5K, 10K and 10-mile races in flat 72°F (22°C) water at 5,400-feet altitude (1,645 meters).

The Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim is held near Provo, south of Salt Lake City. Renowned for great fishing, Deer Creek is set within the Wasatch and Uinta ranges on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains.

This year, Karen Sigler won the 1-mile race in 32:50. Marta Stepanczuk won the 5K swim in 1:20:29. Will Reeves won the 10K swim in 2:45:07 and James Jonson won the 10-mile swim in 4:46:38.

Upper photo taken by Jason Ream, a volunteer paddler, with Mount Timpanogos in the background.

Lower photo provided by race director James Hubbard.

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