RCP Tiburon Mile Winners Take Different Approaches

Kane Radford took control of the RCP Tiburon Mile right from the start with two-time RCP Tiburon Mile champion Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia and defending champion Trent Grimsey of Australia taking their own lines towards the finish. But, it was Kane Radford of New Zealand who won the US$10,000 winner-take-all first prize in the 65˚F (17˚C) waters in San Francisco Bay this morning.

"I was grateful that I had the best line [to the finish], said Kane who finished comfortably ahead in 22:13 over Grimsey's 22:13 and Dyatchin's 22:50.

The women's race was a third-women battle between Melissa Gorman of Australia, Eva Fabian and Chloe Sutton of the USA.

There were several lead changes in the short 1.2-mile sprint race, but the swimmers were all aware of each other throughout the race. As the three women came into the harbor, Chloe and Eva went a little wide as they were swimming shoulder-to-shoulder, allowing Melissa to put on a final kick. "I saw an opening," Melissa said.

Melissa finished a stroke and a step ahead of Eva and Chloe in a close finish (24:06 to 24:08 to 24:09). "I've never won so much money in a race," said Melissa. "I am not sure what I am going to do with the money yet."

A more comprehensive story on the race is here at Swimming World Magazine.

Overall men's results:
1. Kane Radford, New Zealand, 22:13
2. Trent Grimsey, Australia, 22:18
3. Vladimir Dyatchin, Russia, 22:50
4. Ous Mellouli, Tunisia, 23:47
5. Andrew Beato, Australia, 23:58
6. John Koehler Jr., USA, 24:20
7. Thiego Pereira, Brazil, 24:23
8. Brendan Capell, Australia, 24:42
9. Zach Hansford, Australia, 24:44
10. Ben Hinshaw, USA 25:17

Overall women's results:
1. Melissa Gorman, Australia, 24:06
2. Eva Fabian, USA, 24:08
3. Chloe Sutton, USA, 24:09
4. Britta Kamrau, Germany, 24:24
5. Ekaterina Seliverstova, Russia, 24:41
6. Luane Rowe, Australia, 24:53
7. Stacey Hansford, Australia, 25:51
8. Taylor Nanfria, USA 25:58
9. Caitlin Leverenz, USA 26:00
10. Lauren Matevish, USA, 26:02

Photo shows the elite swimmer start on Angel Island, 1.2 miles away from Tiburon across the San Francisco Bay.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source

Defending Champions Return For A Warm Tiburon Mile

Britta Kamrau of Germany and Trent Grimsey of Australia have arrived in San Francisco to defend their titles in the RCP Tiburon Mile against another world-class field including some of the world's fastest pool and open water swimmers.

World 1500-meter champion Ous Mellouli of Tunisia and world 5K champion Melissa Gorman of Australia will certainly give them a run for their money (US$10,000).

With the water a warm 65˚F (18.3˚C), the San Francisco Bay is ready for some fast swimming.

We will be twittering the event at twitter.com/swimopenwater.

Tattersalls Masters Australia No Ka 'Oi in Maui

The Tattersalls Masters Australia won the 9.5-mile Maui Channel Swim, a 6-person race between Lanai and Maui, yesterday in 3 hours 8 minutes over the RCP Tiburon Milers in another match between the rivals from either side of the Pacific Ocean.

The Tattersalls Masters Australia team consisted of Peter Thiel, former world 25K champion Brendan Capell, 2009 world 25K silver medalist Trent Grimsey, Ryan Napolean, Olympic 10K swimmer Ky Hurst and David Browne. RCP Tiburon Milers finished in 3:12:12 with Team Living Water third in 5:14:54.

On the women's side, RCP Tiburon Milers Wahines proved the creme of the feminine crop. A strong line-up of six very accomplished pool and open water swimming women won in 3:53:34.

The team included Lauren Costella, Luane Rowe, Kathryn Taylor, Dana Vollmer, Emma Berry and Amanda McTeagues.

After enjoying the tropical waters of Hawaii, many of these swimmers - including both the fastest male and female swimmers on the Tattersalls Masters Australia and the on the RCP Tiburon Milers - are now headed over to the significantly cooler waters of San Francisco Bay for the 10th annual RCP Tiburon Mile.

Todd Robinson, the new record holder in the Catalina Channel, was first solo finisher in the race, beating 46 of the 50 relay teams in a time of 3:54.

51 relays and 20 soloists started the race, but not all finished due to the challenging conditions. 2 soloists took nearly 10 hours to complete the course.

According to experienced waterman Bill Ireland who has hundreds of swims under his belt, "The conditions for the first 30-40 minutes were as bad as anyone could remember having seen at Maui or at any ocean race as heavy chop, swell and winds challenged the lead swimmers."

But the water was blue, blue, blue as can be seen in this video here.

Photos of David Browne and the victorious Tattersalls Masters Australia team by Amanda Cowen

Tower 26 Tips On The Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim

Gerry Rodrigues, founder of Tower 26, provided 14 tips on how to swim well at this weekend's Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim in Southern California, one of the most competitive open water races in America.

We will Twitter from the starting and finish piers about the Pier-to-Pier Swim tomorrow.

The Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim is arguably America's fourth most competitive race behind the new international NYC Pro Swim in New York City, the fast RCP Tiburon Mile in San Francisco, and the tactical USA Swimming National 10K Championships in Ft. Myers, and up there with the popular Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Honolulu, the Lake Berryessa Swim in Northern California and the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim in Maryland.

The Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier Swim is part of the annual International Surf Festival and is a 2-mile pier-to-pier race between the Hermosa Beach Pier to the Manhattan Beach Pier, a beautiful stretch of Southern California sun, sand and surf where many television and film industry types live and play.

Gerry's 14 tips for the race on Sunday, August 2nd are as follows:

Race day forecast: sunny, 1-2 foot surf every 7 seconds, high tide, possibly slight north current with low winds (i.e., smooth, lake-like conditions).

Tip #1: Do not start to the farthest right unless you are a 1:10 per 100-yard swimmer or faster.

Tip #2: Look for open spaces or pockets to enter as the horn sounds, both while running in the water and swimming at the start.

Tip # 3: It is possible there will be a dip or inshore hold due to the high tide. Be aware. You should check for this during your warm-up.

Tip #4: Keep looking for open spaces as you swim at an angle toward the Hermosa Pier.

Tip #5: Tightly round the pier, but swim approximately 15 feet or more if you are NOT a 1:10 per 100-yard swimmer or faster.

Tip #6: Begin sighing frequently for the Manhattan Pier, every 6-10 strokes.

Tip #7: There are three objects to assist in your navigation: (1) your position as you swim toward Manhattan Pier, (2) your position as you swim away from Hermosa Pier, and (3) your lateral distance from shore (you will need some right-sided breathing).

Tip #8: Draft as best you can off a faster swimmer, either at their feet or on their hips. Keep sighting frequently.

Tip #9: Buoy line - there are several buoys placed between the piers, use them as navigational targets.

Tip #10: If there is surf, it is best to stay a more outside course. But, the suggested course for this year's predicted conditions are a direct line, neither inside, not outside. However, any inshore or off-shore currents should be checked. Ask the lifeguards. Any positive currents, either in- or off-shore, would dictate a more inside or outside course.

Tip #11: As you round the Manhattan Pier, fast swimmers (1:10 per 100-yards or faster) can usually hug the pier with the anticipated low-surf conditions. Slower swimmers should approach the pier a bit wider, about 15-25 feet from the pier. Inexperienced swimmers should take wider turns at greater than 25 feet.

Tip #12: As you approach the finish, sight behind you, looking for waves so you are not surprised with a volume of water crashing on you. If you are confident, attempt to ride every wave as they should be rather small.

Tip #13: Expect in-shore holes or uneven ground. Swim or dolphin over them.

Tip #14: Smile as you run-up the beach. You just swam one of the most beautiful race courses in Southern California.

Photo of 2006 race finish.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Swimming In Memory of Dave Parcells

The RCP Tiburon Mile. The Aqua Zone Portland Mile. The Midmar Mile. The Great North Swim. These are all the great mile swims around the world that attract the world's best open water swimmers as well as swimmers of all ages and abilities from around the world.

The Madison Mile in Westbrook, Connecticut is considered to be the fastest open water swim in the northeastern part of the USA.

The race was founded by the late hometown hero Dave Parcells, a longtime proponent of open water swimming. In 2002, Dave became the oldest person and fourth American to complete a double-crossing of the English Channel. During his lifetime, he raised money for charity and died in 2007 while competing in the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim.

This year's Madison Mile was dedicated to his memory.

Open Water Wednesday on SwimNetwork

Today, Swim Network posted two Open Water Wednesday articles that focus on the Tools of the Trade and pro open water swims.



The pro swim article covers the US$25,000 Aqua Zone Portland Mile, the US$20,000 RCP Tiburon Mile and the pro-am Pagganck Mile in New York City in the US as well as the Midmar Mile in South Africa, the Great North Swim in England, the Flowers Sea Swim in the Cayman Islands, the 57K (35.4 miles) Maratón Acuática International Santa Fe - Río Coronda and the 88K (54 mile) Hernandarias-Paraná Swim in Argentina.

Go to SwimNetwork to read the Open Water Wednesday article.

Photo shows Fran Crippen at the 2007 Pan American Games 10K race.

World's Best Are Coming To Tiburon...Again

The always challenging, fiercely competitive, incredibly enjoyable RCP Tiburon Mile announced another world-class field of elite pool and open water swimming stars for its tenth annual event on September 13th in San Francisco Bay.

It will be an amazing race. The field includes:

• Trent Grimsey (Australia, shown on left): winner of the RCP Tiburon Mile, Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 5K and 10K Australian national championships, Oceania 10K championships

• Thomas Lurz (Germany): multi-time world and European 5K and 10K champion, bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics 10K, silver medalist in the 2006 RCP Tiburon Mile after a photo finish with Vladimir Dyatchin, won the 2005 and 2006 World Open Water Swimmer of the Year
• Vladimir Dyatchin (Russia): Swimming World Magazine’s 2007 Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year, winner of the 2006 and 2007 RCP Tiburon Mile, multiple 10K world champion and 2008 10K Olympian
• Evgeni Bezruchenko (Russia): 2001 10K world champion and member of the winning team at the 2007 Maui Channel Swim and 2008 Trans Tahoe Swim
• Brendan Capell (Australia): 2004 25K world champion, 2007 RCP Tiburon Mile silver medalist, multi-time winner of the 25K Australian national championships and highly ranked FINA World Cup and Grand Prix competitor
• Andrew Beato (Australia): silver medalist at the 2008 and 2009 Australian national championships
• Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia): 2008 Olympic 1500-meter gold medalist.
• J.K. Koehler, Jr. (USA): All-American in 1650-yard freestyle from Indiana University, Olympic Trials 1500-meter finalist, member of 2008 RCP Tiburon Milers’ Trans Tahoe Swim winning team
• Chloe Sutton (USA): 2008 Beijing 10K Olympian, 2-time RCP Tiburon Mile champion, 2-time USA national 10K champion, gold medalist in the 2007 Pan American Games 10K, bronze medalist at the 2008 5K world championships and 800-meter freestyle at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials
• Luane Rowe (Australia): winner of the 2008 Waikiki Roughwater Swim and fourth in the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile
• Eva Fabian (USA): silver medalist in the 2008 USA 10K national championships and member of the USA Swimming Junior National Team

Other swimmers who may compete include Germany's world 25K champion Britta Kamrau, Australia's Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice, Russia's Olympic gold medalist Larisa Ilchenko and American 10K world champion Chip Peterson, Olympic gold medalist Brooke Bennett, world open water swimming world champion Erica Rose (shown on left) and Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion Dana Volmer.

Who are better race car drivers: NASCAR or Formula One drivers? Who can throw a ball better: quarterbacks or pitchers? Who is better in the water: pool or open water swimmers?

The RCP Tiburon Mile may be the best venue to determine the world's best athlete in the water. The race is not a marathon swim (i.e., over 10K), so the advantage does not go to pure open water swimmers. The race is not in a pool, so the advantage does not go to pool swimmers. Rather the distance and venue is a good compromise between pool and marathon swimming.

But, as many open water swimmers know, there are no lanes no lines, no walls..and no mercy.

The $10,000 winner-take-all cash prize is incentive enough, but the pride of beating Olympic medalists and world champions from 20 different countries may be the bigger honor.

Founded in 1999 by Robert C. Placak, the RCP Tiburon Mile annually attracts a wide range of swimmers between the ages of 13 and 80, but the eyes of the media and thousands of fans who line the banks of San Francisco Bay will be on the elite competitors.

Photo of Trent Grimsey winning the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile by Elliot Karlan of Elliot Karlan Photography.

The Timing Of It All - Behind The Scenes In Open Water

With the growth of endurance events with open water swimming in particular, there are special people behind the scenes who make it all happen.

The people work for the timing system companies. Athletes expect their finish times and race positions - both overall and within their age-groups - to be accurate and to be provided immediately.

One such company with a strong presence in Hawaii, and is representative of many excellent timing companies worldwide, is Pacific Sports Events and Timing. Steve Foster, shown above before an open water swim, has been running Pacific Sports Events and Timing for years, utilizing the ChampionChip Timing System.

Steve and the team at Pacific Sports Events and Timing manage the timing systems of many small and large races, including the Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Hawaii and the RCP Tiburon Mile in San Francisco. We caught up with him as he was preparing for another race.

10Kswimmer: What is the largest race – in terms of participants – that you have timed?
Steve: The Honolulu Marathon at around 27,000 participants.

10Kswimmer: What were the challenges to providing accurate timing for all the participants?
Steve: Getting the correct data. You would not believe the number of people that do not know how old they are.

10Kswimmer: What is the smallest race – in terms of participants – that you have timed?
Steve: We had a race with 18 participants: swim 1 mile, canoe 4 miles, run 3 miles.

10Kswimmer: What was the most difficult race to time in terms of logistics?
Steve: The Ironman Triathlon. The race starts at 6:45 am and finishes at midnight. The event timing is in 14 different locations that are spread out over 162K (100 miles). You have people setting up and moving equipment all day. It ends up being a 24-hour day for the timing staff.

10Kswimmer: What things can go wrong during a race?
Steve: Equipment failures...we always run back-up systems. Look at the articles on the 2007 Honolulu Marathon and the massive timing failure by [another company]. Non-tested systems in bad weather are a bad mix.

10Kswimmer: How do you prepare your staff and systems so problems are minimized?
Steve: We continually test the systems and are always training on software development to improve our abilities as event timers.

10Kswimmer: Are athletes’ expectations for split times, final times and placing immediately after the conclusion of the race getting higher?
Steve: With modern-day technology, athletes should expect instant CORRECT results. We have the ability to have a 15-second mat to [offer] internet relay response. The SMS test message system is just as fast. If you sign up for SMS, you can know when you crossed each of the check-points on a course.

10Kswimmer: What special high-end or unique services do you provide?
Steve: Most good timers offer all of the new live results. Messaging along with on-site live monitors. There is a difference between just offering and providing a great service. We offer it all and guarantee satisfaction.

10Kswimmer: Does managing your business take a special personality or skill?
Steve: You have to be able to tune the world out and take care of business.

10Kswimmer: What is the worse thing that ever happened in a race that you were timing?
Steve: An employee failed to turn on all of the finish line systems. I noticed this after 10 people had crossed the finish line. I was able to reconstruct the finish from a video camera.. No one knew the difference.

We salute all those timing system staff and volunteers who work behind the scenes, enabling athletes to receive their correct timing and placing results.

Inner Thoughts of a World-Class Open Water Swimmer

Trent Grimsey, arguably the world's best short-distance ocean swimmer who recently won the 2008 Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile (shown on left), the Eyeline 1000 Noosa Ocean Swim and the 2009 Australian 5K and 10K Open Water Swimming Championships, will be competing in the 5K and 10K events at the World Swimming Championships in Rome.

We caught up with Trent during his preparations for Rome:


10Kswimmer: What is the allure of open water swimming for you?
Trent: I guess it's an Olympic sport now so that has a fair bit to do with it, but I also like that it's very tactical, so you don't have to be the fastest swimmer in the field to win.

10Kswimmer: When did you first realize that open water swimming was for you?
Trent: I think I realized that open water swimming was a path to seriously consider during 2008 when I really started to have a lot of success with it.

10Kswimmer: How many ocean swims do you think you have done in Australia or around the world?
Trent: Well, in Australia, there are quite a few ocean swims every year. In south east Queensland where I live, they have ocean swims probably every 5 to 6 weeks, that are anywhere from 1K to 3K long. Also, in New Zealand, they have a really good ocean swim series that I like to compete in. Other than that, I have not done a lot of racing overseas...although in 2008 I did a few races in the US including the RCP Tiburon Mile, Maui Channel Swim and the Waikiki Roughwater Swim.

10Kswimmer: What do you think about when you start an ocean race in Australia where hundreds of people head down the beach in a mad craze?
Trent: If there are hundreds of people in a race then start is crucial, I'll try and find the best place on the line to start from and just try and relax... maybe put my hands on my hips so as people do not stand to close to me.

10Kswimmer: Australian swimmers and lifesavers are notoriously competitive, aggressive and experienced. What do you think about when you are in a pack going around a turn buoy (can)?
Trent: I will try not to be in the middle of this pack, but if I am, I would be trying to find ways to get out. Its probably not the best thing to lift your head when going around a turn buoy.

10Kswimmer: When the surf is high, what do you think about when you are heading into shore during a tight race?
Trent: I hope my legs are fresher the the guys next to me. You also have to know if there's a wave building up behind you and know exactly when to stand up to start running.

10Kswimmer: What was your most difficult swim – either short ocean swim or longer marathon swim?
Trent: My most difficult ocean swim would of been about two months ago in New Zealand, It was the King of the Bays, a 2.8K swim in Auckland. The conditions were really bad. It was something like 15 to 20 knots. It was cold, wet and windy, I couldn't get in to a rhythym and the bouys were spaced a long way apart - I couldn't see anything.

10Kswimmer: What was going through your mind as you were doing this swim?
Trent: I hope I'm in front and I hope there's hot showers at the end.

10Kswimmer: When conditions get difficult in the open water, do you ever about quitting?
Trent: I guess the thought might cross your mind, but then you think, wait...everyone else in the race is hurting just as much as me and everyone else is having just as much trouble as me...I find that aways helps.

10Kswimmer: Are there any particular song or words that you repeated to yourself over and over again during the swim?
Trent: Pain is temporary, but pride is forever!

10Kswimmer: Are there any kind of mental games that you play to help you overcome the cold water or tough conditions?
Trent: Not really, I do get very nervous before a race so I am aways trying to control my breathing and trying to relax.

10Kswimmer: What are some of the most difficult workouts you have ever done – either in the pool or open water?
Trent: Well, my type of training is very aerobic based and I swim big KMs. About two years ago, I swam 120K in one week over 11 sessions.

10Kswimmer: The Europeans have recently dominated professional marathon swimming. How do you plan to change that?
Trent: This is a good question. I guess experience has a lot to do with being a good open water swimmer. Experience and hard work. I believe I am doing the right type of training - it's just getting the international race experience. Living in Australia, I guess doesn't really help with that because we are so far away from the rest of the world, so I think the next best thing to international racing is talking with people who have been there before and done that. I find talking with people like Josh Santacaterina and Brendan Cappel (both former 25km world champions) really helps. They are both full of great advice and are not afraid to share what they know. These guys have helped me out a lot with advice and how to prepare for a race and, I guess, even race tactics.

Onto Rome...

Mile After Mile

Inches...feet...yards...pounds...quarts... while the world used metric measurements, a handful of countries still use the imperical units of measurements: UK, US, Myanmar and Liberia.

Although 1K, 2K, 5K, 10K and 25K races are popular the world over in open water swimming, mile (1.6K) swims are gaining popularity.

These one-mile races include the RCP Tiburon Mile in San Francisco Bay, the new Pagganck Mile that will be part of the Governor's Island Swim Weekend in New York City, and the Great Swim Series that includes Great London Swim, the Great Scottish Swim, the Great North Swim and the Great East Swim.

This Monday morning in California, there is also the Millerton Mile that serves as the 2009 US Masters Swimming 1-mile national championship. Mike Shaffer, 43 of Ventura County Masters, and Jeff Erwin, 44 of Idaho's Sawtooth Masters (shown on left), who both dominated the distance freestyle events in the pool national masters championships are expected to be the class of the field in the Millerton Lake.

Photo of the start of the 1-mile Pacific Open Water Challenge in California by Bob Maguglin.

Focused Finishes

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

What is the look of a champion?

Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia and Gerry Rodrigues seem to have it. In addition to great aerobic capacity, high navigational IQ and top-notch racing savvy, these guys have the intensity and focus of a champion. Look at their eyes.

Vladimir is shown above finishing at the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville where he qualified first for the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim. Gerry is shown below exiting the water to win the La Jolla Rough Water Swim, America’s Premier Rough Water Swim that has been held since 1916.


Trent Grimsey, winner of the RCP Tiburon Mile (shown on left) also has this eye of the tiger.

As does Britta Kamrau, the women's winner of the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile and a 2009 honoree in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame shown on right.

Talent, toughness and tactics...they all have it.

Photo of Vladimir Dyatchin by Javier Blazquez. Photo of Trent Grimsey by Ian Thurston. Photo of Britta Kamrau by Elliott Karlan.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Open Water Swimming Demographics Around the World

Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

We were asked about the demographics of open water swimming. It was our uneducated guess that the demographics of open water swimming is similar to the demographics of mobile phone users, but the question got the best of our curiosity.

We looked at the five races around the world: (1) the 2009 2.8 km Harbour Crossing race in Auckland organized by Scott Rice of the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series, (2) the 38th annual 2.4-mile 2008 Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Honolulu, Hawaii, (3) the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile held in San Francisco, California and organized by Bob Placak, (4) the 1.8 km Sandycove Island Challenge in Sandycove, Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland, and (5) the 2008 2K Vibes & Scribes Lee Swim in Lee, Ireland.

1,413 swimmers participated in the 2.8 km Harbour Crossing race. This is what we found:

The average age was 36.54 years old with a median age of 37.

35.3% of the swimmers were female and 65.7% were male.

The age groups consisted of the following percentages:

Women 0-14 years: 2.9% of the total
Women 15-19 years: 3.4%
Women 20-29 years: 6.7%
Women 30-39 years: 9.6%
Women 40-49 years: 8.1%
Women 50-59 years: 3.6%
Women 60-69 years: 0.5%
Women 70-99 years: 0.1%

Men 0-14 years: 2.5% of the total
Men 15-19 years: 3.9%
Men 20-29 years: 8.9%
Men 30-39 years: 18.0%
Men 40-49 years: 19.6%
Men 50-59 years: 8.5%
Men 60-69 years: 2.4%
Men 70-99 years: 0.5%

At the 2.4-mile 2008 Waikiki Roughwater Swim, we found similar data among the 638 swimmers:

35.5% of the swimmers were female and 65.5% were male.

The age groups consisted of the following percentages:

Women 0-14 years: 3.7% of the total
Women 15-18 years: 3.9%
Women 19-29 years: 5.6%
Women 30-39 years: 8.9%
Women 40-49 years: 6.5%
Women 50-59 years: 4.9%
Women 60-69 years: 1.5%
Women 70-99 years: 0.4%

Men 0-14 years: 3.5% of the total
Men 15-18 years: 3.2%
Men 19-29 years: 7.0%
Men 30-39 years: 13.4%
Men 40-49 years: 17.5%
Men 50-59 years: 14.3%
Men 60-69 years: 4.2%
Men 70-99 years: 1.0%

At the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile, we found these statistics among the 742 swimmers:

The average age was 34.8 years old with a median age of 37.

41.7% of the swimmers were female and 58.3% were male.

The age groups consisted of the following percentages:



Women 0-14 years: 4.8% of the total
Women 15-19 years: 9.9%
Women 20-29 years: 4.3%
Women 30-39 years: 6.7%
Women 40-49 years: 9.3%
Women 50-59 years: 5.2%
Women 60-69 years: 1.2%
Women 70-99 years: 0.0%

Men 0-14 years: 3.2% of the total
Men 15-19 years: 6.8%
Men 20-29 years: 6.8%
Men 30-39 years: 11.8%
Men 40-49 years: 18.7%
Men 50-59 years: 7.4%
Men 60-69 years: 2.9%
Men 70-99 years: 0.4%

60.5% of the swimmers did not wear wetsuits and 39.5% of the swimmers did wear wetsuits. 63.1% of the men did not wear wetsuits and. 57.3% of the women did not wear wetsuits. 36.9% of the men wore wetsuits and 42.7% of the women wore wetsuits.

At the 2008 Sandycove Island Challenge, we found these statistics among the 259 entered swimmers:

39.3% of the swimmers were female and 60.7% were male.

49.4% of the swimmers did not wear wetsuits and 50.6% of the swimmers did wear wetsuits. 51.6% of the men did not wear wetsuits and 46.0% of the women did not wear wetsuits. 48.4% of the men wore wetsuits and 54.0% of the women wore wetsuits.

Of the swimmers who did not wear wetsuits, we found the following statistics:

Women 0-17 years: 0.3% of the total
Women 18-29 years: 2.3%
Women 30-39 years: 7.7%
Women 40-49 years: 2.7%
Women 50-59 years: 3.9%
Women 60-69 years: 1.9%
Women 70-99 years: 0.0%

Men 0-17 years: 0.7% of the total
Men 18-29 years: 6.6%
Men 30-39 years: 7.7%
Men 40-49 years: 8.4%
Men 50-59 years: 5.4%
Men 60-69 years: 1.9%
Men 70-99 years: 0.3%

Of the swimmers who did wear wetsuits, we found the following statistics:

Women 0-24 years: 1.5% of the total
Women 25-34 years: 8.4%
Women 35-44 years: 6.9%
Women 45-54 years: 4.2%

Men 0-24 years: 1.5% of the total
Men 25-34 years: 7.7%
Men 35-44 years: 13.5%
Men 45-54 years: 3.4%
Men 55-64 years: 3.0%

At the 2008 Vibes & Scribes Lee Swim, we found these statistics among the 277 entered swimmers:

28.5% of the swimmers were female and 71.5% were male.

71.8% of the swimmers did not wear wetsuits and 28.2% of the swimmers did wear wetsuits. 69.6% of the men did not wear wetsuits and 77.2% of the women did not wear wetsuits. 21.4% of the men wore wetsuits and 22.8% of the women wore wetsuits.

Of the swimmers who did not wear wetsuits, we found the following statistics:

Women 0-17 years: 1.0% of the total
Women 18-29 years: 5.5%
Women 30-39 years: 5.7%
Women 40-49 years: 4.3%
Women 50-59 years: 3.6%
Women 60-69 years: 2.1%
Women 70-99 years: 0.0%

Men 0-17 years: 2.1% of the total
Men 18-29 years: 1.8%
Men 30-39 years: 14.8%
Men 40-49 years: 12.2%
Men 50-59 years: 7.9%
Men 60-69 years: 3.6%
Men 70-99 years: 0.0%

Of the swimmers who did wear wetsuits, we found the following statistics:

Women 0-24 years: 1.0% of the total
Women 25-34 years: 2.1%
Women 35-44 years: 1.8%
Women 45-54 years: 1.4%

Men 0-24 years: 1.4% of the total
Men 25-34 years: 7.9%
Men 35-44 years: 6.5%
Men 45-54 years: 2.1%
Men 55-64 years: 3.6%

Photo of Britta Kamrau at the RCP Tiburon Mile by Elliott Karlan.

Copyright © 2009 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Tiburon on TV on Thanksgiving

Comcast SportsNet Bay Area will broadcast the 2008 RCP Tiburon Mile four separate times in November and December.

The first broadcast of this annual event will be at 7 pm PT on Thursday, November 27, 2008. The other three broadcasts will be on Monday, December 1st at 6 pm PT, on Tuesday, December 9th at 6:30 pm PT and on Sunday, December 14th at 5 pm PT.

If your household gets the Comcast SportsNet Bay Area signal, do not miss this exciting open water swimming broadcast where Trent Grimsey of Australia took a gamble and surprised an amazing field of Olympic and world champions at the 9th annual RCP Tiburon Mile.

The broadcast will show how Grimsey swam all by himself, far to the left of the main pack, but still won by 14 seconds over Olympic 10K bronze medalist Thomas Lurz, multi-time world open water champion Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia, Brendan Capell of Australia and 2008 Olympic 1500-meter gold medalist Oussama Mellouli.

The Comcast broadcast (see below) will showcase 800+ other swimmers who ventured across the 1.2-mile channel from Angel Island to the City of Tiburon just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Footage will capture how the lead pack with Lurz, Dyatchin, Capell and Mellouli were all jostling with each other, but they couldn’t chase down the lone Grimsey.

The women's race was equally compelling, but the lead women were much closer to one another. "I could see all my competitors and knew where they were," said world 25K open water champion Britta Kamrau. Kamrau reached the shoreline together with two-time world open water silver medalist Ekaterina Seliverstova of Russia. As they both ran up the beach, Kamrau was just a step ahead. “I am not good at running and I have never done a race where there is a run at the finish. I just put one step ahead of the other and beat [Seliverstova].”



Kirsten Groome of Louisiana and Luane Rowe of Sydney followed closely behind the top two women to take third and fourth respectively.

The top 25 overall swimmers are as follows:

1. Trent Grimsey in 20:31
2. Thomas Lurz in 20:45
3. Vladimir Dyatchin in 20:46
4. Brendan Capell in 20:47
5. Oussama Mellouli in 20:52
6. Andrew Beato in 21:14
7. Charles Cullom in 21:16
8. John K. Koehler in 21:37
9. Charles Peterson in 21:44
10. Aljaz Ojstersek in 21:46
11. Britt Kamrau in 21:48 [first woman]
12. Ekaterina Seliverstova in 21:49 [second woman]
13. Kirsten Groome in 21:54 [third woman]
14. Luane Rowe in 21:57 [fourth woman]
15. Alex Kostich in 21:59
16. Eva Fabian in 22:00 [fifth woman]
17. Dawn Heckman in 22:00 [sixth woman]
18. Chloe Sutton in 22:01 [seventh woman]
19. Noa Sakamoto in 22:09
20. Charlie Rimkus in 22:09
21. Steffan Troxel in 22:10
22. Sergiy Fesenko in 22:30
23. Angela Duckworth in 22:34
24. Erik Vendt in 22:37
25. John Flanagan in 22:39

Bob Placak is the founder of the RCP Tiburon Mile and a nominee for the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.

Photo copyright by Elliott. Used by permission. Photo shows the different colored caps of the elite swimmers.

RCP Tiburon Mile Photos Posted Online

Photographs of the RCP Tiburon Mile by the renowned Bob Kreisel are now posted on the 10KSwim.com site.

The RCP Tiburon Mile race is the brainchild of Bob Placak, a nominee for the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.

Information on the male nominees are posted here; details on the female nominees for the 2008 World Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year are posted here. Voting can be done to the left.

Kreisel's photos help tell the story of Placak's RCP Tiburon Mile, from the pre-race preparations to the post-race gourmet feast.

Photos by Kreisel have been published in CondeNast, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure and other publications.

Copyright © 2008 by Open Water Source

Race of Champions

Trent Grimsey of Australia took a gamble and surprised an amazing field of Olympic and world champions at the 9th annual RCP The exuberance of the Olympic medalists is a joy to see.

Swimming by himself, far to the left of the main pack, Grimsey won by 14 seconds in 20:31 over Olympic 10K bronze medalist Thomas Lurz and world open water champion Vladimir Dyatchin.

Grimsey went stage left right from the start and proceeded on his own line across the 1.2-mile channel from Angel Island to the City of Tiburon just north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The lead pack with Lurz, Dyatchin, Brendan Capell of Australia and Oussama Mellouli, the 1500 gold medalist, took a different line across the channel, all drafting and jostling with each other, but they couldn’t chase down the lone-swimming Grimsey.

“I didn’t second-guess myself and once I went for it, I was committed to my plan,” said Trent factually and confidently.

Grimsey, who similarly dominated the 2008 Tiburon Mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, is also a great pool swimmer with a best time of 15:12 in the 1500-meter freestyle. “I decided to swim wide and go to the left [of the other swimmers] because I breathe to my right and I wanted to see the field. I basically went fast the entire race.”

The women's race was much different with the women close to one another. "I could see all my competitors and knew where they were," said world 25K open water champion Britta Kamrau. Kamrau reached the shoreline together with two-time world open water silver medalist Ekaterina Seliverstova of Russia. As they both ran up the beach, Kamrau was just a step ahead. “I am not good at running and I have never done a race where there is a run at the finish. I just put one step ahead of the other and beat [Seliverstova].”

Kirsten Groome of Louisiana and Luane Rowe of Sydney followed closely behind the top two women to take third and fourth respectively.

As the open water world looks to the 2012 London Olympics, the importance of swimming fast in cold water is key. At 63°F (17°C), the Tiburon Mile provides great preparation.

More comprehensive coverage and additional photos and results will be provided by Swimming World Magazine and the Morning Swim Show.
The top 30 overall swimmers are as follows:

1. Trent Grimsey in 20:31
2. Thomas Lurz in 20:45
3. Vladimir Dyatchin in 20:46
4. Brendan Capell in 20:47
5. Oussama Mellouli in 20:52
6. Andrew Beato in 21:14
7. Charles Cullom in 21:16
8. John K. Koehler in 21:37
9. Charles Peterson in 21:44
10. Aljaz Ojstersek in 21:46
11. Britt Kamrau in 21:48 [first woman]
12. Ekaterina Seliverstova in 21:49 [second woman]
13. Kirsten Groome in 21:54 [third woman]
14. Luane Rowe in 21:57 [fourth woman]
15. Alex Kostich in 21:59
16. Eva Fabian in 22:00 [fifth woman]
17. Dawn Heckman in 22:00 [sixth woman]
18. Chloe Sutton in 22:01 [seventh woman]
19. Noa Sakamoto in 22:09
20. Charlie Rimkus in 22:09
21. Steffan Troxel in 22:10
22. Sergiy Fesenko in 22:30
23. Angela Duckworth in 22:34
24. Erik Vendt in 22:37
25. John Flanagan in 22:39
26. Isaac Howell in 22:42
27. Madison Livingston in 22:45
28. Gary Wright in 22:46
29. Brock Redondo in 22:51
30. Evgeny Bezruchenko in 22:59

Photo copyright by Elliott copyright. Used by permission. Photo shows the different colored caps of the elite swimmers.

Copyright © 2008 by Open Water Source

World's Best Open Water Swimming Feast

It would be very hard to beat the Tiburon Mile post-race smorgasborg. While most open water swimming events offer fruits and juices for the athletes after the race and some offer a nice pot-luck or great barbeque lunch, the Tiburon Mile really goes all-out.

Race Director Bob Placak and his team provide an expansive buffet for the athletes. A gourmet of wraps, sushi, Indian curry, specialty salads and sandwiches, chocolate-covered strawberries, a variety of chicken, specially designed cupcakes, fruits and juices on the shores of San Francisco Bay.

A 50-meter tent with two buffet lines is lined with all-you-can-eat food and drink from the following sponsors: Bordenave’s of San Rafael, Bungalow 44 of Mill Valley, Café Z Epicerie of Greenbrae, E&O Trading Company of Larkspur, Ebisu Japanese Sushi of San Francisco, Foodnicks of Tiburon, Frosting Bake Shop of Mill Valley, Guaymas of Tiburon, Il David of San Rafael, Indian Village of San Rafael, Insalata’s of San Anselmo, Joint Juice of Santa Cruz, Judy’s Breadsticks of Marin, Kashi Company of La Jolla, Marin Produce of San Rafael, Michael’s Sourdough Sandwiches, Milano Restaurant of Tiburon, OWater of San Francisco, Perry’s Deli of San Rafael, PF Changs China Bistro of Corte Madera, Servino Ristorante of Tiburon, Small Shed Flatbread of Mill Valley, Sweet Things Bakery of Tiburon, Sweden House Bakery of Tiburon, The Melting Pot of Larkspur, Whole Foods of San Rafael and Mill Valley, and Zola of San Francisco.

The race finishes at Sam’s Anchor Cafe, a shoreside restaurant whose owner was the first supporter of the RCP Tiburon Mile in 1999. The owner event sets a webcam that provides live updates every 60 seconds of the finish line.

The event surely provides the world’s best post-race feast.

Photo of Sam’s Anchor Cafe near the finish of the RCP Tiburon Mile by Panoramio.

Inspirational Tributes from Tiburon

During the welcome dinner at the Tiburon Mile, race founder Bob Placak asked 20 pool and open water swimming Olympians and world champions, "Who is the person in your life who most inspired you to become the athlete that you are?" .

The athletes' answers can be read at Swimming World Magazine. Photo of defending champion Chloe Sutton from the Tiburon Mile website.

RCP Tiburon Mile Live Play-Play

The RCP Tiburon Mile will be covered live on Swimming World Magazine. Click LIVE COVERAGE of the RCP Tiburon Mile to follow the prestigious open water swimming race live at 9 am PT on Sunday, October 5.

Photo of defending champion Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia from the Tiburon Mile website.

Bronze Medalist Going For Gold in the Bay

Olympic 10K bronze medalist Thomas Lurz reflected on his Olympic performance in Beijing before the upcoming Tiburon Mile in San Francisco Bay.

"I felt good on every loop," said Lurz of the four-loop course in Beijing. "The average speed was fast so that was good. Around the last turn buoy, I was thinking, 'Now the race really begins'. The finish was a little hard to see and David Davies and I went to the right. Maarten [van der Weijden] had a straight line and swam well. We gave everything. I am happy to medal."

When asked what the future holds, Lurz replied, "I am 28 [years old) so we will see what will come in the future."

After the Olympics, Lurz swam at the European Open Water Swimming Championships in Croatia and the Great North Swim before arriving in San Francisco for the RCP Tiburon Mile. "I am looking forward to this event, but also to looking for a break soon."

"The RCP Tiburon Mile is a very nice and interesting race. A 1-mile swim is short. Because it is only one mile, the pool swimmers will be fast. If the race was longer, the open water swimmers would have an advantage. It will be a good race."

Photo of Thomas Lurz after his 10K victory at the European Open Water Swimming Championships taken by Giorgio Scala of Deep Blue Media.

Follow the RCP Tiburon Mile Live

The incredibly competitive RCP Tiburon Mile will be covered in real-time via Twitter. Click here (twitter.com/swimopenwater) to follow the prestigious open water swimming race live at 9 am PT on Sunday, October 5.

Photo of defending champion Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia from the Tiburon Mile website.