Swimming to Whiskey Joe's

11 solo swimmers and 12 relay teams from Florida and Seattle to Italy and Guatamala are scheduled to compete in the 12th annual 24-mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim on April 18th.

Run by Ron Collins (shown on left), the 50+ swimmers will swim 38.6 tough kilometers in warm waters across the entire length of in Tampa Bay.

The 24-mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim is one of the longest and most grueling marathon swims open to amateurs in the world. The event celebrates Earth Day and the revitalization of Florida's largest estuary.

Since the event was first staged in 1998, competitors across the United States, Great Britain, Guatamala, Italy, Australia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Germany, India, Canada and the Cayman Islands have enjoyed the challenge with the finish in front of a supportive crowd at Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill.