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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2015
SOUTH BOSTON, Massachusetts—Is it 1908? Because that’s the last time a headline like the above ran in relation to the annual 8-mile Boston Light Swim, a perennial favorite among marathon swimmers around the world. Way back then, sexy swimming powerhouse Annette Kellerman wowed the crowds at Revere Beach in her scandalous, adapted men’s bathing suit and was arrested for her bold expression of function over fashion.
This year, 53-year-old Penny Palfrey of Queensland, Australia will likely create fewer legal waves as she follows in her countrywoman’s steps to make history in the Boston Harbor on Saturday. Joining her will be 23 other solo swimmers and 6 relay teams hailing from near and far.
Earlier this month, Palfrey—a legendary open water swimmer and grandmother who has a long and impressive string of brutal ocean marathon swims to her name—became the third person to complete a second Triple Crown with a successful swim across the Catalina Channel. The Triple Crown consists of solo swims of the 21-mile English Channel, the 20-mile Catalina Channel in southern California, and a 28.5-mile circumnavigation of Manhattan Island. To date, fewer than 120 people worldwide have completed a single Triple Crown, and now Palfrey has done it twice.
Palfrey also held a world record for the longest solo ocean swim for her 67.26-mile trek between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman Islands that she completed in 2011. Her record was broken last October by fellow Australian marathon swimmer Chloe McCardle.
Joining Palfrey in the water on this significantly shorter but no less exciting 8-mile journey will be 61-year-old Barbara Held, a former firefighter and paramedic from San Diego. Also a Triple Crown swimmer, Held completed that trio of tough swims all while over the age of 50, earning her “Half Century Club” status. She’s also the oldest woman to have thus far completed the Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming.
The field also boasts marathon swimming newcomer Jef Mallett, 53, the artist behind the syndicated comic strip Frazz that details the life and athletic pursuits of the strip’s eponymous songwriter turned elementary school janitor. Mallett, an accomplished cyclist and triathlete from Detroit is tackling his first major marathon swim in this event, and has been training hard for the cold and unpredictable conditions he may encounter in the harbor.
Competitors will start in the water at 7 a.m. just off of Little Brewster Island in the shadow of America’s first lighthouse, the Boston Light. The marathon swim runs for eight miles amid the Boston Harbor Islands National Park and finishes at the famed L-Street Bathhouse in South Boston. Spectators are encouraged to arrive at the L-Street Beach to cheer in the finishers beginning at 9 a.m.
The historic race, dubbed the “Granddaddy of American Open Water Swims,” began in 1907. The race is considered one of the most difficult open water swimming races in the world because of the chilly 58-degree water temperature typically found at the start, variable conditions, and strong tidal flows. Swimmers and their crews must carefully train for and navigate these challenges accordingly, and completion is not guaranteed.
Most swimmers manage to complete the swim within three to five hours. There is a five-hour time limit on the course, and safety is the primary concern for Race Directors Elaine Howley and Greg O’Connor, who are running the event for the seventh year in a row. The event safety plan includes a motorized support boat assigned to each swimmer, Coast Guard and Environmental Police coverage, as well as dedicated Boston EMS personnel on standby should any swimmers experience difficulty during or after the race.
Higher-than-typical water temperatures in the harbor this year and a clear forecast bode well, but swimmers will be missing a traditional landmark along the route due to the demolition earlier this year of the Long Island Bridge. “The warmer water is a big positive from a safety standpoint,” Howley says, “as fewer swimmers are likely to experience hypothermia during the swim. But it does change the complexion of the race a bit. Part of the appeal is that this is a very cold, very difficult swim,” she explains. “The loss of the Long Island Bridge, which was an iconic landmark that signaled the halfway point in the race, will also subtly change swimmers’ experiences in the harbor.”
This year, 24 solo swimmers were selected by lottery to participate. The field consists of 11 women and 13 men. Penny Palfrey and Barbara Held are expected to lead the way, but may be challenged by local swimmers Jennifer Olsen, 44, of Natick and Katharine Owen, 36, of Arlington for the win. The women’s field is especially fast this year and is expected to dominate the finisher’s podium.
The Boston Light Swim staff wishes all swimmers a safe and personally fulfilling crossing. This year’s race is sponsored by the Massachusetts Open Water Swimming Association (MOWSA), Harpoon Brewery, DRINKMaple, Carbo-Pro, and FINIS. An after-party will be held on the beach at the L-Street Bathhouse, followed by a celebration at the world-famous L-Street Tavern on L-Street in Southie.
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For more information, visit us online at www.bostonlightswim.org. For media inquiries, please contact: Race Director, Elaine Howley at 508-736-6268.
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Solo Entrants
- Barbara Held, 61, San Diego, CA
- James Long, 45, Chester, UK
- Richard Born, 53, Jamaica Plain, MA
- Penny Palfrey, 53, Queensland, AUS
- Patrick Couture, 49, Quebec, CAN
- Donald Sorterup, 48, Tiverton, RI
- Dan Grodinsky, 33, Quebec, CAN
- Michael Klonsky, 53, Lynnfield, MA
- Martina Pavlicova, 43, New York, NY
- Amy Frick, 49, Chester, VA
- Shannon Dinan, 47, Salem, MA
- Jen Olsen, 44, Natick, MA
- Patty Gray, 64, Mesa, AZ
- John Gale, 59, Portland, ME
- Rachel Petersen, 25, Littleton, CO
- Jeffrey Pinnix, 41, Mansfield, MA
- Frederick Hirsch, 64, Hull, MA
- David Conners, 47, San Francisco, CA
- Kristin Hutchins, 48, San Francisco, CA
- James Clifford, 63, Poolesville, MD
- Nabil Radouane 38, Collegeville, PA
- Martha Wood, 52, Manchester, MA
- Jef Mallett, 53, Huntington Woods, MI
- Katharine Owen, 36, Arlington, MA
Relay Teams
Three-Person Team
- Team Johnson: James Burden, Jim Kindelan, Franklin Johnson
Four–Person Teams
- Sachuset Ocean Swimmers - III: Jane Cheney, Neil Greenspan, Lynne Czech, Michael Garr
- A Fin & A Prayer: Katie O’Dair, Julie Mulkerrin, Lynne Mulkerrin, Juliette Byrnes
- Beer Gutz & Coconutz: Tommy Gainer, Lidia MacDonald-Carr, Katelyn Kidney, Sean Barrow
- Schuylkill Expressions: Louise Hyder-Darlington, Charles Bender, Diane McManus, Hugh Darlington
- SOS II: Christopher Daly, Judy Beckman, Jonathan Cooper, Rita Hansen
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