When 0.1% is Huge

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

The 4 km Sea of Galilee Swim in Israel is quite an event.

While it is not the world's largest swim with South Africa's Midmar Mile at 17,000+ swimmers and Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake Swim annually hosting over 18,500 participants, the Sea of Galilee Swim reportedly attracts between 6,000 - 7,000 swimmers to its October event.

In a country of only 7.2 million people, this means that approximately 0.1% of the entire population of Israel participates in the annual Sea of Galilee Swim.

The first Sea of Galilee Swim was held in 1944 (two years before Israel was formed) and has continued nearly uninterrupted since with the maximum number of swimmers in one year was apparently 10,000.

For more information in Hebrew, visit here. The registration can be completed here before the October race date.

Upper photo above shows a swimmer from the 1960s. Lower photo shows a young male participant by Annie Griffiths Belt.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association