Announcing August 24th 2015 as the inaugural World Marathon Swimming Day

loneswimmer · August 2015

Following an suggestion by @Leonard_Jansen _Jansen on the forum in May MSF today announces August the 24th, 2015 as inaugural World Marathon Swimming Day.

August the 24th is the day in 1875 that Captain Matthew Webb successfully swam the English Channel, landing at Calais on his second attempt in under 22 hours. It's the date that the sport of Channel and Marathon Swimming unofficially claims as its birth day, (disregarding previous unsuccessful attempts by Webb and others).

There's no greeting card, no sponsorship, no t-shirt, no-one pulling strokes or strings, no debate committee and no vested interests. There's just us. Just all us swimmers, successful and unsuccessful, present and lost.

Tonight we raise a glass in hono(u)r of you all, our friends, past, present and future. Please join us wherever you are.

evmo · August 2015

IronMike said:
Question up for discussion: 24 or 25 August?

Which is more meaningful: the starting or the finishing?

IronMike · August 2015

As discussed in the other thread, I think for the first ever EC crossing, when he finished is more meaningful. He started twice.

Next year if I'm not in the middle of a move, I'll have a party and/or do a big swim. (Big for me, anyway.)

loneswimmer · August 2015

I've been giving this some further thought and feel there are various aspects to recognise.

1- Two day holiday is always better than one day!

2- Webb spent most of the 24th swimming.

3- But as @IronMike pointed out we generally celebrate the successes. Few now remember Paul Boynton or others, or even Webb's first Channel unsuccessful swim.

4- But this isn't just about the EC. The 25th can still be Channel Day. This is about the marathon swimmers of the world as MSF is.

5- @Evmo points out that you have to start to finish. We've all met people who say "I've always dreamed of trying that" but have never taken the necessary steps. I've always felt that part of what makes this sport so moving (no pun intended), are those moments before you step off the shore.

6- We're not above changing it for next year if necessary but...

7- Most importantly for me, I think the 24th allows us to recognise ALL the sport: The majority of marathon swimmers who aren't English Channel swimmers, those who are marathon swimmers but aren't successful in their swim, those who dream, those who support.

Isn't it the dream that motivates us as much as the swimming?

JenA · August 2015

I'd buy a t-shirt. . And a swim cap. Possibly whatever MSF-logoed swag anyone would care to produce..,

IronMike · August 2015

JenA said:
I'd buy a t-shirt. . And a swim cap. Possibly whatever MSF-logoed swag anyone would care to produce..,

This sounds familiar...

NoelFigart · August 2015

loneswimmer said:

Isn't it the dream that motivates us as much as the swimming?

LOL. Totally!

dpm50 · August 2015

World Marathon Swimming Month--all of August! Then there could be a stage swim which people could join in part or in full, in relay or solo form.

Okay a bit ambitious to start off, but the "postal" format would be pretty cool--they use it in US Masters Swimming for various distances. So there could be some way to record distances all through the month--they could be done as part of other organized events (i.e. submit results for, say, Boston Light) or as independent swims, where there's an observer to ensure things are done correctly.

One could submit results and (optionally) order swag such as t-shirts or swim caps. Then the names/distances could be listed overall and by age group (heck, I'd still be at the bottom of my age group--amazing what the 60somethings are doing these days!). (This is something like what USMS does w/ the hour postal swim.)

Personally i wouldn't care about awards--swimming IS my award (well, that and a post-swim pint or so). But love to see the super performances acknowledged--inspirational to newbies like me!

Thanks for suggesting this holiday, guys! The more holidays, the better!

loneswimmer said:
I've been giving this some further thought and feel there are various aspects to recognise.

1- Two day holiday is always better than one day!

2- Webb spent most of the 24th swimming.

3- But as @IronMike pointed out we generally celebrate the successes. Few now remember Paul Boynton or others, or even Webb's first Channel unsuccessful swim.

4- But this isn't just about the EC. The 25th can still be Channel Day. This is about the marathon swimmers of the world as MSF is.

5- @Evmo points out that you have to start to finish. We've all met people who say "I've always dreamed of trying that" but have never taken the necessary steps. I've always felt that part of what makes this sport so moving (no pun intended), are those moments before you step off the shore.

6- We're not above changing it for next year if necessary but...

7- Most importantly for me, I think the 24th allows us to recognise ALL the sport: The majority of marathon swimmers who aren't English Channel swimmers, those who are marathon swimmers but aren't successful in their swim, those who dream, those who support.

Isn't it the dream that motivates us as much as the swimming?

bluemermaid9 · August 2016

Happy swimming, marathon swimmers!

IronMike · August 2016

As I figured, I am in the middle of a move.

dpm50 · September 2016

Well, a week out from this year's World Marathon Swimming Day, and tomorrow I take another shot at 8 miles in the Valley Forge Marathon Swim. My only goal:to finish. After a DNF last year (at~7 miles), I want to get in all 8. Not EC stuff, not multiple miles in freezing temps (actually, water will be pretty warm), a humble swim compared to the amazing stuff I read about here. But baby steps for now!

IronMike · September 2016

Positive thinking @dpm50. Just swim feed-to-feed.

IronMike · September 2017

Did we forget this this year? I'm reading @emkhowley's article in Outdoor Swimmer and was reminded about 24 August...

Gords · August 2020

Happy Marathon Swimming Day. 145 years after Captain Matthew Webb successfully completed his momentous swim, the ripples are still affecting the world today.

IronMike · August 2020

Phew, thanks @Gords. I almost missed it this year. I've finally gone ahead and set a reminder in my Yahoo calendar, with a 24 hour alarm prior to 24 August every year. I keep missing this!

StLucia_Channel · September 2020

@IronMike said:
Phew, thanks @Gords. I almost missed it this year. I've finally gone ahead and set a reminder in my Yahoo calendar, with a 24 hour alarm prior to 24 August every year. I keep missing this!

That's a really great idea. I do miss it almost every year! Thanks!