International Field Set for New York City Circumnavigation

The Manhattan Island Foundation announced a diverse field for its June 6th 2009 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim. Entries were submitted electronically from all over the world. Within a few hours, the committee had vetted hundreds of entries and extended an official invitation to 27 athletes and 14 teams.

The Manhattan Island Marathon Swim 2009 competitors include 49-year-old Antonio Argüelles from Mexico City, 60-year-old Stephen Autry from Cincinnati, 36-year-old Willy Blumentals from North Bergen (New Jersey), 30-year-old Rob Deakin from London, 48-year-old Suzie Dods from San Francisco, 42-year-old Jonathan Ennis from San Francisco, 39-year-old Leticia Flores Hernandez from Mexico, 50-year-old Elizabeth Fry from Westport (Connecticut), 51-year-old Ricardo Grossman from Mexico, 40-year-old Mariel Hawley from Mexico, 31-year-old Elaine Howley from Waltham (Massachusetts), 54-year-old George Hunihan from Milford (Connecticut), 39-year-old Amanda Hunt from Sydney, 45-year-old Kathleen Jaeger from New York, 25-year-old Lennard Lee from London, 45-year-old Marcella MacDonald from Andover (Connecticut), 44-year-old Maria Matheu from Guatemala City, 34-year-old Cara McAteer from Brooklyn (New York), 27-year-old Jane McCormick from Manchester (U.K.), 37-year-old Lance Ogren from New York, 51-year-old Chris Palfrey from Townsville (Australia), 46-year-old Penny Palfrey from Townsville (Australia), 47-year-old Michael Renford from Sydney, 18-year-old Conor Rowley from London and 36-year-old John Van Wisse from Beaumaris (Australia). 38-year-old Carlos Komori from Mexico and 33-year-old Anna Wardley from Gosport (U.K.) are waitlisted.

The 25 solo swimmers and 14 teams (2-person, 4-person and 6-person relays) will start and finish near Wall Street and will race 45.8K (28.5 miles) around Manhattan Island. The race was first held in 1927 and has seen many of the world’s best swimmers stake their own claims around New York City. Substantial surface chop and strong tidal pull are possible, but the water temperature are reasonable (17-19°C or 64-67°F).

Race photos from Susan Egan.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association

Hurricane Hanna Cancels the Brooklyn Bridge Swim

Hurricane Hanna caused the cancellation of the annual Brooklyn Bridge Swim, a scenic 1K swim from Manhattan to Brooklyn across the East River.

The entire New York region rapidly shifted into emergency-preparation mode in response to the Friday afternoon Hanna forecasts. As a result, escort and safety marine craft, essential to enforce the East River's closure, from the Coast Guard, NYPD Harbor and NYFD Harbor were placed on alert and redeployed due to local and federal safety plans. The race was cancelled as a result.

With typical efficiency, race director Morty Berger contacted all 315 entrants and 100+ escort boat personnel, kayakers and volunteers via an email blast and voice messages to their home, work and cell phones. With swimmers coming into New York from as far away as California and Germany, the professionalism demonstrated by the Manhattan Island Foundation was appreciated by all.

For the 1K swim, Berger had to negotiate with several different local, state and federal agencies to hold the swim. Navigating the government bureaucracies, Berger obtain six different race permits from New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Economic Development Commission, the New York City Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard as well as submit applications to, receive letters of approval from, the New York Police Department and New York Fire Department. Considering that Berger successfully convinced all levels of government bureaucracies and politicians to halt all boat traffic along the East River (including thousands of boats that travel daily up and down the river), the logistical and planning that goes into the Brooklyn Bridge Swim is far beyond any swim of this length.

Photo of the start of the 2007 Brooklyn Bridge Swim by Susan Egan.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association