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20 BRIDGES and NYOW 2017 Calendar of Events
david_barra
NYCharter Member
Dear Subscribers,
Thank you for your interest in New York Open Waters events and programs. We are excited to announce dates and information about the 2017 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan!
As many of you know, midway through the 2016 open water season, NYOW picked up the baton where NYCSWIM left off and conducted three 20 Bridges (formerly MIMS) events with a 100% success rate. Considering there is a lot involved in planning one of these swims, we’re proud of this accomplishment and look forward to having more time to plan ahead and make the 2017 season great.
Plans for 2017 20 Bridges
For 2017 we are proposing to run three to four 20 Bridges Swims with up to 12 swimmers per event. We have selected four date blocks of between two and six days when these swims will take place. On one of these date blocks we hope to hold a 20 Bridges weekend “festival” with two 20 Bridges swims on consecutive days in order to draw a swimmers from all over the world and celebrate our great sport of marathon swimming; one of the best traditions of MIMS was the large congregation of like-minded people and it’s something we’d like to continue.
20 Bridges Dates
The four date blocks are:
- Saturday, June 24 to Monday, June 26
- Thursday, July 20 to Tuesday, July 25
- Friday, August 18 to Wednesday, August 23
- Thursday, September 7 to Friday, September 8
Registration
If you register for 20 Bridges on November 1 we will ask you to order your preference of dates you’d like to participate. If there is a date you cannot make then leave the field blank. By December 1 we will assign you a date for your swim, which will also have a “rain date” option. In other words, you will need to make plans to be in NYC and ready to swim on two consecutive dates.
What about Relays?
One or two slots for two-person relays will be available on all offered dates. Relays are a great way for swimmers new to marathon swimming to get valuable experience in what it’s like to swim a longer event.
Pricing
The cost for 20 Bridges will range between $2500 and $2700 based on the size and comfort of your boat. This cost will include, boat/boater, observer and kayak/kayaker. You will be allowed two crew members. If you have more crew you must make arrangements with the event organizers and the cost will be higher as you will need a larger boat.
The total fee for a two-person relay is $3000.
Withdrawal Policy
- Withdrawal before April 1: swimmer gets a full refund minus a $300 processing fee.
- Withdrawal after April 1: swimmer will loose deposit of $1500 unless we can fill space with someone on the waitlist in which case all will be fully refunded minus a $300 processing fee.
- Withdrawal on event day: Swimmer will loose entire fee. It may be possible to direct some of the funds toward a future swim event.
Fundraising Policy
You are welcome to raise funds for a cause when you swim 20 Bridges as long as you abide by the following guidelines.
- The organization you are raising funds for must be a registered charity or not for profit organization.
- This organization can not represent a religious or political cause.
- All proceeds must go to the charity you are fundraising for. You can not fund your swim through your fundraising efforts.
What can I prepare in advance for the application form?
- Emergency contact name & relationship:
- Emergency contact phone number:
- Medical: History & relevant conditions
- Swimmer Qualifications: provide your swimming resume for distances greater than 10 Km. Include dates, times, conditions (including water temperature) and any web-links to results
- Swimmer Qualifications: List your pace for a one-hour pool swim at marathon pace, and the type of pool (e.g., Long course meters, short course yards)
- Swimmer Qualifications: Provide your feeding plan for a marathon swim
Timeline
- November 1 20 Bridges registration opens
- December 1 Date assignments will be made.
- December 1 Deposit payment is open.
- December 15 Deposits are due. Registrants may lose their slot if they are late with this payment and we have a waiting list for that date.
- April 1 Final payment balance is due. Crew registration must be completed by this time.
20 Bridges Selection Criteria
The following considerations will be taken to approve and assign swim dates for 20 Bridges applicants.
- Order received
- Preferred swim dates
- Completed qualifying information
- Field diversity for each date (age, gender, nationality)
- Swimmer schedule (EC, CC bookings, etc)
- Participation as a NYOW volunteer
What else is NYOW up to?
The seventh 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim will take place from June 15 to June 22, 2017. Applications for 7-stagers will open on November 1. Applications for all other swimmers will open on November 15th. If you would like to swim the entire event please register early as slots for the more popular stages are filled quickly once general registration opens. You can register at this link: https://www.8bridges.org/register/swimmers/
Other Events
Tentative dates for our shorter open water events for 2017 are:
- 2 Bridges Swim Under the Walkway on Saturday, June 3 2017
- Spuyten Duyvil 10K on Sunday, September 17, 2016
- Swim Around Governor’s Island (Date TBA)
We will continue to send updates when they are available. Feel free to like our Facebook page and check our website for updates from time to time.
Happy Swimming!
Rondi, David, & Alex
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Comments
Great News!
For the 20 Bridges registration are all the requried qualifications the same for a 2 person relay as they are for a solo?
Does the one-hour pool swim at marathon pace need to be an official USMS Postal Swim or would you accept something done at a local pool with lifeguard/witness certification?
Also, are there any plans for an Ederle swim in 2017?
Thanks,
David W
The 1 hour does not have to be an official event, but it is an important piece of the puzzle required to formulate an accurate model for your swim which gets you where you need to be in time to benefit from the tide changes.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Looking into Ederle.
We had a successful test run in August.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Yay, this is so exciting! Will the Governor's Island swim be all around the island?
This is awesome! I'm going to do my best to make it to one of the shorter events this year.
i'm really excited about Governors Island too - such a fun swim and a good vibe always. and for those of you who haven't swam it....
So....is it 1 Nov GMT or...???
Just trying to be ready.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
HIGH NOON Eastern Daylight Time
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Thanks! I'll be ready
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
David, I realise that this is a monumental task, requiring a huge amount of organisation and a tough job in choosing who gets a place for 2017..... and that it's your time you're giving up to do this. Bearing in mind the huge and well deserved success of the swim this year and the high volume of applications for next year, is there any possibility in the future that there might be provision for more than 48 swimmers? Apologies if it's too early to be asking the question, or if it's not appropriate. I'm just curious because of the huge interest today.
We are currently sorting through 80 applications and brainstorming.
Stand by!
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
I haven't applied this year.... I'm just an interested onlooker at the moment. Best of luck with your task and thanks for the answer.
@david_barra, I don't understand. 80 swimmers applied to swim all 7 stages? That would be amazing!
I am sorry! I was being completely overworked and stupid. Not enough swimming in my life.
20 Bridges =manhattan circ
Not to be confused with 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Wow, 80 applicants. There must be a big pent up demand to swim Manhattan. Perfectly understandable.
Mark - hope you're doing well. I think you're exactly right. I can't speak for the other 79, but I've been wanting to do the circumnavigation formerly known as MIMS for years, but I wanted to avoid getting myself into a situation with so much uncertainty. I have very few needs when it comes to swimming, but I generally like to know if anyone is going to show up on the appointed day. Given the fine reputation of David & crew, I was immediately "in" when I read the announcement last summer.
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."
80!!! Well shoot, I was hoping the biggest worry was which window I got, not if I got in. A good problem to have though if you're the race director. David, I agree with the others. It's a testament to turning the event around.
Everybody wants to know: Is @GarbageBarge one of them?
Just wondering if you know when the dates for Spuyten Duyvil and Governor's Island will be confirmed? I'm itching to start planning my summer!
I think Spuyten Duyvil is September 17th. I don't know about Governor's Island.
vote for the return on Governor's Island AND ... Ederle ...just sayin
My liquid recovery plan in one short article!
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Hi guys,
I have a few questions regarding the 20 Bridges Swim. Looks like that I can not open my own topic as a new member, so I poste it here.
-What is the usal start time of the swim?
-What tablets do you take against the bad water conditions before?
-Can you have a support swimmer?
Thanks
Hey, Josh.
The 20B swims usually start between 8/8:30 and 10am. Depends on the day's tides & what time we can launch our safety boats. But we'll need to meet up at least an hour & a half or two before splash to load the support boats, transfer feeds, hold safety briefing, & motor out to the start.
Support swimmers are allowed in the Harlem River & north of Riverbank State Park (about W. 145th Street).
Hope this helps.
-Alex, NYOW
@Alex_Arevalo is one of the race directors, FYI, so his responses are authoritative, mine are more anecdotal
Rondi & David are schedule the start times during a 25 minute window to maximize tidal push. Since tides vary by day, so do the start times. But trust me on this: those two are experts and will put you in the water at the absolute best time.
I didn't take anything. A day or two later I grew something furry in the back of my throat and a few discolored patches of skin here and there. I took a Z-pack and it all cleared up. With the exception of the Harlem, water conditions were not nearly as bad as I expected. In fact, I'd say the East River and the Hudson were fairly typical of just about any ocean swim. The Harlem seemed dirtier, but that could have been as much about the brownish color
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."
I heard you can have a support swimmer on the Harlem (oh boy!)
On the subject of health precautions, are there any recommended vaccinations to get before the swim?
Even though the waters are relatively clean, I personally did do vaccinations: Hep A and typhoid. And of course, make sure you are current on your tetanus shot.
I find the water to be lovely. No issues after 40 Bridges and 20+ hours last July. And I never had an issue in my two prior round Manhattan swims or Ederle.
Thanks a lot!
Does anyone has a link to a map, which shows the usal swim route?
""Support swimmers are allowed in the Harlem River & north of Riverbank State Park (about W. 145th Street). Hope this helps. -Alex, NYOW"""
Can you give me ruffly the kilometers, where that is?
Cheers
Don't really need a map for the route. Most start from Battery Park but a few start at Mill Rock, depending on the tides. You get in, turn left, swim. When you get to a fork, go left again. Repeat until it looks familiar again. (Sorry, I had to). Seriously, you won't get lost. The only trick is staying in the strongest current. If you have one of Alex's crew as your pilot, they'll keep you in the sweet spot. When in doubt, the middle usually moves the fastest.
Here is a map of the island. The red dot is Battery Park. The Blue dot is Mill Rock. The purple line is the area @Alex_Arevalo is talking about (the area where support swimmers are permitted). Technically, the Harlem River starts right about Mill Rock, but I doubt they want support swimmers in the water right there, especially for Battery Park starts (this is the trickiest part). The purple section is probably 15-16 kilometers.
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."
Google Earth Manhattan island. Then use the point to point measuring tool beginning at Battery Park and connect points around the entire island. After that, you can do a "street view" tour around the entire swim route. Prior to my swim, I did this several times as it gives you a great idea of the surroundings, the bridges, the forks in the rivers, etc.
Thanks. That is great advice.
However this is not much where the support siwmmer can go it. Are these rules written down somewhere? I can only find that the support swimmer can go in every hour with an hour rest in between. Why are support swimmers not allowed at other points on the route?
Can I expect a water temperature around 20 Celcius on 30. June?
@JOsh - This is New York City, its not a wide open channel! The remainder of the route has ferries, pleasure boats and shipping - a rather congested waterways so we don't want more people in the water than necessary. Perhaps if you shared why you need a support swimmer we could find some other way to help. I've swam it and have either crewed or observed most 20 bridges over the last 3-4 years and honestly its pretty rare anyone has a support swimmer jump in.
Here is a site with historical water temps. There are no guarantees about what it will be that day, I suggest you train for the range.
https://www.seatemperature.org/north-america/united-states/new-york-city.htm
Hey There,
This is a fantastic thread- it's so informative-- and thanks to all!
I'm swimming in July this year and my parents have planned a trip to coincide with the swim- they won't be crewing for me but they'd like to walk/subway around during the swim to see me in a few places over the day. Might anyone know a few good 'viewing points' they can scope out?
Thanks!
@dtat Many of the bridges over the Harlem River are very low, these are great for viewing. The ones with pedestrian access.
(https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/01/05/E9-31228/drawbridge-operation-regulations-harlem-river-new-york-ny)
Pier I on the Hudson River at West 70th st. gives a good view and they can have lunch or a cocktail there.
A must is Battery Park City at the end....they can walk along side the river and see you as most of the time you will be swimming next to the sea wall. Or if less mobile they can sit outside at the Restaurant Pier A and see the finish.
Carl Shurz Park at East 84th and the East River is another lovely promenade that usually affords a nice view.
@j9swim Thanks so much! That's just lovely
Thanks for the useful info, lovely people. June 30th for me.
I understand you completly. However, I want to know what the rules allow. We do all our swims with a support swimmer, just having the option is nice for the swimmer. I rather have this discussion here and everyone is clear on the day what is allowed and what is not.
Thanks for the data!
Another question
Are there facilities to boil water on most support boats?
No.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
A good quality thermos should keep her water hot for the day!
Also, while the forum can be a wonderful font for advice & suggestions, it's prob best to directly ask organizers any questions about rules & event day logistics if you're looking for definitive answers.
Hey,
can someone confirm what direction you swim for the 20Bridges? What is the first Bridge you go under?
Thanks
Josh, again probably questions best asked to the organizers!
Although a reverse is possible, most all Manhattan circ swims go counter-clockwise. And since your swimmer splashes at Pier A, after she rounds the Battery, she'll soon be under the Brooklyn Bridge.
I am thinking about doing 20 Bridges next summer and have a question about qualifying swims. I see that we would need to list past swims "greater than 10k". Do those swims have to be done within the past year or would prior long swims (from 2017 and 2016) count? Also, if I do 2018 Spuyten Dyvil 10k, does that count as well?
Thanks
Consider that your swim resume is one factor of the application, and this year we received more than 120 applications for half as many available spots. A good many of the applicants have completed several iconic marathon swims.
Spuyten Duyvil has a strong current assist and swims more like a 5k, so..... one should not consider it a pre-qualifier where 10k+ distances are what we are looking for, but by all means include it on the application.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
So if you are looking at our swim resume, you will also consider longer swims that were not done in the past calendar year?
Thanks
Swim resume is not limited to 12 months prior.
I don’t think there is anything on the application that suggests otherwise.
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Good luck 20 Bridges swimmers today!
https://track.rs/NYOW