When 0.1% is Huge

The 4K 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 if you can read Hebrew, go here. The registration can be completed here on this website 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.

Jacqui's Dream Lives On

Nearly 1,000 swimmers are expected at this week's Merrifield Mile in South Africa. Merrifield Preparatory School & College student Jacqui Russell had the original idea for the Merrifield Mile, but she tragically passed away before her dream was realized.


Jacqui was on the Merrifield Student Council that was raising money for a school hall and Jacqui's contribution was to establish a foundation to organize an open water swimming on the Nahoon River. The Nahoon River is located in the city East London on the east coast of South Africa.

Mandy Houzet, one of the organizers of the event says, "We want this to be a fun filled family day, as it was Jacqui's vision, we want to fulfil her dreams. [The event] is to promote East London and this stunning river and our beaches that are so completely underrated, people just don't know what we've got."

May Jacqui's dream live on.