Manhattan Island Marathon Swim

It's safe to say the the only way I'll ever be swimming 28.5 miles is if my ship capsizes.

9 Hours of Swimming
Emily B. Hager & Kate Torgovnick, NY Times, 6/14/07

"The worst part of it is that it's, it's nine hours swimming. The best part of it is that it's nine hours swimming."
~Allan Morrison

"The Harlem River could be really nasty. It's like the worst puddle that you can ever imagine in the spring when the snow's melting. If you added like a million cigarette butts to that and old pairs of underwear. That's, that's the Harlem River and you swim through that for two hours."
~Jonathan Farber

Uh, umm, yeah, no thanks on the underwear and cigarettes.


The Harlem River, circa 1852


Seeing Manhattan From Sea Level
Kate Torgovnick, NY Times, 6/14/07

Swim hopefuls must complete an online application, submit an essay about why they want to be part of the race and pay a fee of $1,285

The water conditions can rob swimmers of their appetites. “The Harlem River is brown and viscous,” Farber said. “Trying to hold down food is not easy there.”

Wet suits are not permitted, and traditional bathing suits can rub against a swimmer’s skin, creating what are known as swimsuit hickeys. To prevent this, swimmers coat their bodies in lanolin or Vaseline.

I'll be wearing a wetsuit for Alcatraz. I can't wait to lube up.