What is the longest distance swam
What is the longest distance swam
What is the longest distances swam?
The longest distance ever swam by a human was 5,600 km (3,736 nautical miles) and was achieved by Benoit Lecomte. The journey took him 72 days to complete.
While Lecomte’s achievement is very commendable, it was NOT continuous (i.e. he spent about 2/3rd of each day in the accompanying boat, sleeping and resting), and I think hardly qualifies for what we think of as long-distance swimming (i.e. being constantly in the water, even when resting). Also, due to currents, etc., the actual distance that Lecomte swam was likely only about 1/3rd that total distance.
Most open water swimmers use the standard that English Channel swimmers have long set as allowable assistance: «. require you to start and end on land, allow the use of a swim cap, goggles, and a bathing suit (but no wetsuit, flippers, or shark cage), and permit a boat crew to feed and hydrate you. But you can’t rest by hanging off the side of a craft or sleeping on it, a luxury that some distance swimmers allow themselves.» In addition, distances can be magnified if you are swimming with a substantial current, so it depends on where the swam took place as to the «validity» of it.
The longest known duration for an open-water swim is Canadian Vicki Keith’s two-way crossing of Lake Ontario in 1987, a distance of 64.6 miles that took her 56 hours and 10 minutes.
The current longest distance using the above rules and with no notable current is by Penny Palfrey from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman island in 2011, a distance of 70 miles.
Diana Nyad in 1972 swam from the Bahamas to Florida unassisted, a distance of 102 miles. However, she was aided by a modest current.
Longest Open Water Swims
The Marathon Swimmers Federation recognizes the following all-time Solo Distance Records for open water swimming:
Extended Lists
About MSF Recognized Records
Records are classified along three dimensions:
If you believe a historical swim is missing from these lists, please contact us to begin the authentication process.
We’re happy to advise any challengers to these records. You may also wish to consult the MSF Documented Swims documentation guidelines.
Longest Open Water Swim
and Longest Lake Swim
The longest continuous, unassisted, current neutral swim along a single-segment natural route in open water.
Sarah Thomas
168.3 km (104.6 miles)
Lake Champlain
Route: Gardiner Island loop from Rouses Point
(New York / Vermont, USA)
67 hours, 16 minutes
August 7-10, 2017
Longest Ocean Swim
The longest continuous, unassisted, current neutral swim along a single-segment natural route in an ocean, sea, or bay.
Chloe McCardel
124.4 km (77.3 miles)
Exuma Sound
Route: South Eleuthera to Nassau, Bahamas
41 hours, 21 minutes
October 20-22, 2014
Longest Ocean Swim (multi-segment)
The longest unassisted swim along a multi-segment natural route in an ocean, sea, or bay.
Sarah Thomas
132 km (82.5 miles)
English Channel four-way crossing
Route: England-France-England-France-England
54 hours, 10 minutes
September 15-17, 2019
Longest Lake Swim (multi-segment)
The longest unassisted swim along a multi-segment natural route in a lake or reservoir.
Joe Zemaitis
112 km (69.6 miles)
Roosevelt Lake
Route: 4.5-way lengthwise
47 hours, 23 minutes
November 1-3, 2020
Longest Ocean Swim (open currents)
The longest unassisted swim in an ocean or sea, which may benefit from surface currents.
Veljko Rogošić
194 km (120.5 miles)
Adriatic Sea
Route: Grado to Riccione (Italy)
50 hours, 10 minutes
August 29-31, 2006
Longest River Swim
The longest continuous, unassisted swim in a river.
Ricardo Hoffmann
481 km (299 miles)
ParanГЎ River
Route: Corriente to Santa Elena (Argentina)
Long Distance Swimming Technique: 7 Key Steps To Perfection
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For a lot of swimmers, raw speed is the ultimate goal, but for many others, it is being able to cover long distances, whether open water or in the pool. For this type of swimming, we require slightly different swimming technique in order to ensure maximum efficiency in the water.
And that’s why in today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at long distance swimming technique and how you can perfect it to become a better long distance swimmer.
The chosen stroke for long-distance swimming is freestyle, also known as front crawl since it is the most energy-efficient and fastest stroke to use over long distances, which is our main goal here.
The majority of long-distance swims take place in open water events, with distances ranging from 1km all the way to 25km in length. In competitive pool swimming, there are also long distance events, with the most common being the 800m and 1500m freestyle events.
In truth, there are slight differences between open water and pool distance swimming technique, but they are also very similar, and today we’ll be covering the most important long distance swimming technique aspects for both so that you can maximize your efficiency and performance regardless of where you swim.
That said, if you are a recreational swimmer, simply looking to dish out a lot of distance in the pool to get a good swimming workout, then these points can also help you get it done in a more professional and effective way.
So without further delay, let’s get started-
Perfect your long-distance swimming technique. Here’s how-
1. The perfect balance between speed and endurance: Round arm freestyle.
In freestyle swimming, there are 3 main types of arm technique that you can use, for distance swimming round arm is the most effective style. Let’s have a look at each arm style to give you a better understanding-
Bent arm freestyle: This is the oldest style of freestyle arm technique, and has in many ways become a less superior and outdated way of swimming. It involves keeping your arm bent in an angle-like position during the recovery portion of the stroke.
Back in the day, this was a very popular way of swimming, but with the immersion of straight- and round-arm freestyle, it has mostly disappeared. I don’t recommend swimming like this as it places the shoulder most at risk for injury and isn’t the most efficient way of swimming.
Straight arm freestyle: Straight arm freestyle is the fastest and most powerful way of swimming freestyle. This arm style is used by sprint freestyle swimmers in competitive events like the 50m and 100m freestyle.
And although it is the fastest, it isn’t the most energy-efficient seeing as this stroke is focused on power and speed. I only recommend this style of swimming for swimmers who are focused on the events mentioned above, namely 50m and 100m freestyle sprints.
Round arm freestyle: This brings us to the last style of freestyle arm technique, namely round arm freestyle. This is going to be the style that you should use for long distance swimming. It is good to use as it is right in the middle between bent- and straight arm freestyle and is the perfect balance between speed and endurance. This style of freestyle can be used for both sprinting and long distance swimming, which is why it’s so great.
How to perform round arm freestyle:
As the name suggests with this arm style the idea is to form a round position with your arm. The easiest way to do this is by visualizing your arm being wrapped around the top of an exercise ball or round barrel.
You can also physically place your arm around one to get a feel for the position that your arm should be in.
When swimming with this style, you want to stretch out so that you feel a stretch in your lat after your hand has entered the water. This should make your arm go into a straight position under the water, which is the same for all of the arm styles.
Then you want to pull back on the water, make sure that your arms never move directly underneath your body as this will reduce propulsion and increase resistance, but we’ll discuss this a bit more later.
2. Ensure energy efficiency: Maintain correct body position and a long stroke.
Maintaining a long stroke is an important part of efficient long distance swimming technique. Short arm pulls provide less propulsion with higher energy usage which isn’t exactly ideal for long-distance swimming, where energy-efficiency is a crucial aspect.
To achieve long and efficient strokes we should start with our body position, another highly important part of efficient swimming.
The proper freestyle body position is to maintain a flat and horizontal position in the water at all times. Don’t allow your legs to drop below your hips or your body to bend at the hips as this will compromise your body position and increase drag and energy consumption.
Once your body is correctly positioned in the water, we can focus on a long stroke. For this we want to reach as far forward as possible, usually, you should feel a nice stretch running across your lat from the shoulder blade.
Mistake: a common mistake made by swimmers when trying to swim with long strokes is that they’ll stretch out during the recovery portion of the stroke when the arm is still above the water.
You want your hand to first enter the water at a slightly angled position and then you want to stretch forward under the water so that your arm straightens out.
These 2 aspects (stretching arms while maintaining a flat and horizontal body position) creates the basic mechanism which will efficiently propel you forward in the water, allowing you to save energy for your long-distance swim.
Watch this short video for a more visual explanation of the correct freestyle body position-
3. Maximize pulling propulsion: Keep a high elbow position.
Swimming with a high elbow position is a critical part of maximizing your propulsion in the most efficient manner. Something to note here is that I’m talking about the elbow position under the water, not above.
To achieve this you want to keep the elbow high in the water during the beginning portion of the arms stroke, after that, you want to create a slight bend and bring it outward so that your forearm moves into a vertical position.
Once your forearm and palm are facing backward you can push back to create the maximum amount of propulsion in the most efficient way possible. This combined with a long arm stroke and good body position will ensure that you can swim fast without using much energy.
4. Your motor: Utilize a two-beat kick.
The legs serve as a key component of swimming long distances. They should be working non-stop and in doing so will create a type of motor powering you from behind and assisting with your arms strokes at all times.
By utilizing a two-beat kick you’ll be saving energy and breathing will also be easier, allowing you to be more relaxed in the water, which is very important for long-distance swimming.
To perform a two-beat kick you want to kick once during the entire stroke cycle, allowing for a total of 2 kicks. This essentially means that your arms and kicks will be executed in the same rhythm.
To better explain it, let me give you another example. Say you were using a 4 beat kick. Then you would have to kick twice with each leg during the stroke cycle for a total of 4 kicks. This means your kicking will be faster than your arms.
Consider watching this short video for a more visual explanation-
5. Proper breathing is key: 3 critical points.
Oxygen is required for muscles to function at peak levels. Take it away? Fatigue increases, performance drops, and you swim slower. That’s why breathing is an important aspect of long distance swimming technique. We want to maintain a deep and relaxed breathing style at all times.
Exhale under the water: to ensure the most efficient breathing, make sure to exhale under the water, as holding onto used air won’t benefit you much. This will allow you to fill your lungs much faster as you come up to take a breath which will allow you to place your head back into a neutral position to ensure optimal body position.
It will also help you to take in more oxygen as you’ll most likely be able to pull in more air since you won’t have to first blow and then inhale. You simply have to tilt your head to the side and inhale.
Breathe once per arm cycle: an arm cycle consists of 2 full strokes. In competitive swimming, it is common to use limiting breathing patterns during shorter swims or not to breathe at all on sprints like the 50m as this ultimately increases speed.
This, however, only works for a small period of time and isn’t ideal for distance swimming. For long-distance swimming, you want to breathe once per arm cycle to ensure that oxygen levels stay high at all times, which will optimize performance and reduce fatigue over the course of your swim.
One-sided breathing: This is the correct way to swim, regardless of whether you’re swimming long distance or not. Using a one-sided breathing pattern allows for good rhythm and optimal flow of oxygen as you swim.
6. Maintaining a good stroke: Neutral head position
Keeping a neutral head position throughout your swim is a highly important part of ensuring that your body position stays correct and that you don’t create any unnecessary drag while swimming.
When swimming, many people tend to look forward rather than down. This can cause your legs and hips to sink which will compromise the flat and horizontal body position we talked about earlier.
This can result in you having to kick harder, which will use more energy, as well as placing strain on your neck, which isn’t really something you want to do when swimming long distances.
To prevent this you should aim to keep your head in line with your body, to do this look directly down towards the floor of the pool or lake that you’re swimming in.
Note: I know for open water swimming, you have to look up every now and then to ensure proper direction. This is fine as it is required, but try to hold a neutral head position the rest of the time.
7. Get a good grip in the water: The hand and finger position.
Over the years there has been a lot of debate about the right finger position when swimming. Should your fingers be open or closed when pulling? What do you think?
Well, as a consequence many studies have been done on this topic, with the majority of results leaning towards using an open finger position. The idea is that it will allow your fingers to wiggle around which will cover more surface area and in return allow you to swim with higher propulsion.
If we take a look at a study published by the Human Kinetics Journal [1] it is, in fact, clear that this is the case. This study, along with many others, suggests that propulsion is enhanced by a small finger spread while swimming.
For optimal grip and propulsion through your hands, push your thumb slightly out and down and allow for small gaps between your fingers. This will create a cupped position that will be most effective for propelling you forward in the water.
In terms of the hand position, you want to keep your hand slightly angled when entering the water, and then allow it to flatten out as you reach forward to take that long stroke we discussed earlier.
Conclusion
Long-distance swimming may sound boring to some but it can be a lot of fun and involves just as many technical aspects as standard pool competition swimming. I recommend all swimmers to do some form of long distance swim at one point or another during their swimming career.
Personally, I’ve only done a few open water swims, but they are always quite fun and thrilling to complete. So with that said, I hope this article helped you to perfect your long distance swimming technique so that you can conquer your next swim.
If you liked this article, consider checking out my blog for more swimming content. We discuss a variety of swimming-related topics including technique, dry-land and gym training, and gear reviews.
I am Benjamin, a competitive swimmer with many years of experience in the sport of swimming. I am very passionate about competitive swimming and love sharing everything I have learned about the sport. I specialize in swimming butterfly and my favorite event is the 100m butterfly with the 50m and 200m fly closely following.
Swimming.
Тема: Sports./Keeping Fit.
Swimming. 
Rob: Hello, I’m Rob …
Callum: And I’m Callum.
Rob: And this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Today we’re talking about swimming. Now, Callum, how old were you when you started to swim?
Callum: I suppose, before ten. Before I was ten, I think.
Rob: Quite young.
Callum: Yes.
Rob: Well, swimming is a very popular activity in the UK. According to a recent survey, one in five adults in the UK cannot swim. What’s more, millions of children in the UK can’t swim a length of a pool. I think most people recognise that swimming is very important for safety and good for fitness. But maybe some people weren’t introduced to the water early enough and they don’t have the confidence to start swimming later in life. In a moment we’ll hear from some people who coach swimming for adults and children, but first I have this week’s question for you, Callum.
Callum: I thought you might.
Rob: In 2007, the Slovenian swimmer Martin Strel broke his own world record for long-distance swimming. But what distance did he swim? Was it :
a) 3, 268 kilometres
b) 4, 268 kilometres
c) 5, 268 kilometres
Callum: 4, 268 kilometres. I say that. But I really don’t know.
Rob: OK, well, we’ll see if you’re right at the end of the programme. First let’s hear from the BBC reporter Sophie van Brugen. She went to a swimming pool to find out more about swimming classes for adults and children. Let’s have a listen to the clip ; how many children does she say have taken swimming classes in the last year?
Sophie van Brugen, BBC
Not everybody’s confident in the water, and many of us learn to swim later on in life. And in fact experts now say that the best time to learn is when we’re babies and children. And in the last year alone, over 300,000 little ones have gone through classes.
Jenni May, swimming teacher
When they’re under six months it’s just almost a natural thing for them to be under the water. And then it just becomes second nature to them so as they’re older, they don’t know any different then being under the water and being wet.
Vocabulary and definitions
toddlers children who have just learned to walk
to supervise to watch over a person or an activity they are doing and make sure it is done correctly
supervision the act of supervising people or their activities
second nature something which you can do easily and naturally
splash the sound made when something hits the water
to dive to jump into water, usually head-first
hoops large rings made of wood, metal or plastic
Long Distance Swimming: The Keys to Success
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to swim as far as we can walk.”
Ryan Rayner, IT Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Ironman 70.3 finisher, shared his insight on long-distance swimming at a Lunch & Learn with his fellow Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan employees. After listening to his presentation, it’s clear just how profound this sport is and how dedicated these athletes are.
Rayner’s journey with swimming began with short-distance sprinting, which most of us can understand the concept of: finish the race as quickly as possible. But what about when it comes to long-distance swimming?
Completing the Ironman 70.3 accredits Rayner’s understanding of the difference between the two. This triathlon lasts a duration of six hours and includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run. Feel tired just thinking about it? Me too.
Rayner explained four of the foundational techniques he feels those pursuing their passion for long-distance swimming should keep in mind; often referencing the style of experienced long-distance swimmer Terry Laughlin.
Principle #1: Practice repetitive calmness
“Commit to muscle memory and breathing patterns,” said Rayner. “Think about your strokes and your mental state because when the race starts, you can go with what you know.”
It’s easy to become overwhelmed in the intensity of the swimming portion of a triathlon, so by remaining calm you can keep yourself from panicking or in a worst case scenario, drowning.
“If your life depends on you making it to shore, you won’t,” he continues, “Your mind becomes tense and you forget your training, so you tire faster and lose your mentality.”
Principle #2: Body shaping vs. in shape body
“It’s not all about being in fantastic shape…you also have to have the proper body mechanics,” said Rayner. “How you shape your body in the water is more important than being in shape…swimming is technique.”
By practicing the accurate body movements in the water, you’re likely to lower your drag, and that is where you will see the most return in your performance.
Principle #3: Conservation of energy
“We need to be energy-miners,” said Rayner. “You want your heart rate underneath a threshold, then you hold that heart rate for the entire swim.”
This is where long distance swimming differs greatly from short-distance sprinting. Rather than dwelling on a faster stroke and breathing faster, you must slow your entire movement.
“Almost no forward motion comes from flutter kicking—it’s all in your arms,” he added.
Principle #4: Body mechanics coordinate right and left halves
Believe it or not, our bodies tend to move in a similar fashion when we swim as they do when we walk. You’ll notice during both that when the left hand comes up, the right leg does something simultaneously.
Rayner elaborated on how the left and right side of your body often work together. By balancing the rotation of your body and practicing a longer stoke, you are able to gain better speed. Your biceps and back tire very easily, so body rotation is what pulls you through the water.
“You should feel lazy in the water,” said Rayner. “When I’m in the pool I’m not focused on how hard I can swim, but on mastering the best stroke that I can.”
If you’re in a triathlon setting Rayner suggests using the sun or moon as a guide. That way, the tendency to veer off is less than it would be if you were to only breathe on one side because of the symmetry.
Rayner closed his presentation with some words of encouragement to those questioning their ability to pursue long-distance swimming.
“You may be thinking I can’t do it or it’s too hard or I’m not in good enough shape or I’m over the age limit…well Diane Niaad, who swam from Cuba to Florida, was in her 60s,” he said. “She’s not built like a professional athlete…she looks like a regular 60-year-old. I’ve always kept that in mind.”
How many of you are long-distance swimmers? Share some of your tips with us in the comment section below.
Photo Credit via Flickr: A Healthier Michigan (feature), Salim Virji (inset)