SWIM THE WORLD NEW YORK
SWIM IT YOUR WAY
Open water swimming was always part of the New York story, before pollution killed off the pastime. But there’s been a huge resurgence in events, and the iconic locations at ract swimmers the world over, writes Jonathan Knot
New York sits at the mouth of the Hudson River on one of the largest natural harbours in the world, with 578 miles
of waterfront overlooking tidal estuaries, manifold islands and Atlantic beaches.
No surprise, then, that swimming is bound up with the city’s history. In 1926 New Yorker Gertrude Ederle became the world’s fi rst woman to swim the English Channel, smashing the existing record time by over two hours. By the 1930s, swimming races around Manhat an Island (28.5 miles) had become an established international open water event.
But the industrialisation of the harbour made its waters increasingly polluted, and by the 1940s, swimming had died out. But over the past 49 years improved sewage treatment and increased regulation of industrial waste have made the water progressively cleaner. New York-born long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad set a new record
for swimming around Manhat an Island in 1975, and in 1982 the route became an offi cial event once more. The Manhat an Island Marathon
NEED TO KNOW
○ Where: New York, New York ○ What: Ten events, including MIMS and NYC Swim Series ○ When: From May to September ○ Who: MIMS is an elite event, but the NYC Swim Series appeals to a wide spread of abilities ○ How: See
nycswim.org for details
THE MANHATTAN ISLAND MARATHON SWIM IS NOW ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LONG-DISTANCE SWIMS
The 2011 Ederle Swim, with its magnifi cent backdrop of the Statue of Liberty and the southern tip of Manhat an
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Photo © Greg O'Connor
Photo © Gerry Louw
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