Resurrecting the 100 Year Old Chicago River Marathon Swims

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

Last summer, 11 intrepid individuals jumped into the Cal-Sag Channel as part of the Cal-Sag Plunge. This monumental occasion signified that the more than 100-year history of the river as a sewage canal is over and recreation in, on, and along the water is here to stay. 

But is the river really safe enough for swimming? Who says so?  And how do they know?

Please join Friends of the Chicago River, along with other water quality experts, policy advocates, and urban swimming champions as we explore these questions and discuss how to make swimming in the Chicago River system a reality.

Speakers include David Barra, New York Open Water; Jessica Dexter, Environmental Law & Policy Center; Willie Levenson, Human Access Project; and David St, Pierre, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A panel discussion will follow.

Click here for the summit agenda. 

Chicago River Summitt

Chicago River Marathon SwimRenewal of a Chicago Athletic Tradition
 

The Chicago River is a vibrant and dynamic venue combining a working river, world class architecture, recreation and city landscapes pulsing through the heart of Chicago like an artery of greek god, Poseidon, Olympian, God of the Oceans, and king of the sea gods. 

This venue creates the opportunity for the city to return to its world class athletics involving swimming that was exceeding popular in the early 1900's. The bridges and shoreline create a natural viewing area for hundreds of thousands of visitors, tourists along the shores like a “stadium” built for economic and corporate business interests.

So we will see if the vision can become a reality.

History

Begun in 1908, the Chicago River Swim capitalized on the bustling downtown and athletic events of the day. These swims took place during what is considered by many to be the most polluted periods of the river, before it was turned to the Mississippi and still discharging into Lake Michigan. Yet today even Lake Michigan has water quality challenges that everyone swims in without thinking twice.  Yet the river suffers from the mystique of un-educated fear and factual reporting of being much cleaner according to many.

Today, building on our community’s history, strong work ethic, and as national transportation hub for commerce, organizations have come together to expand an already successful regional swim series by adding a series of swims to the Chicagoland area to reinvigorate a century old river marathon swim tradition.

The river swim rain-child is the idea of recognized open water swimmers Doug McConnell and Don Macdonald. With each having a swimming pedigree spanning the English Channel, Tampa Bay, Boston Harbor, around Manhattan Island, Kawa'i channel, and National Masters Championships they are more than qualified experts in a sports growing so fast it has recently been added to the Olympic stage.

Capitalizing on recent successes in water quality, community environmental awareness and economic development forged by other partners, Doug and Don saw the opportunity to focus on the Chicago River as a sporting venue.

We believe Chicago will once again be the epicenter of urban aquatic athletics (i.e., swimming, kayaking, canoeing, etc.) offering River and lake swims similar to events hosted around Manhattan Island 29 miles, New York; Amsterdam’s canal swims 1-5 miles; or Boston’s Light House swim conducted for over 100 years 8 miles among others.

River Athletics

Anecdotes tell us Chicago has hosted many famous Olympians such as Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe and that venerable sports club like the Illinois & Chicago Athletic Club hosted events as early as 1908.

Chicago's first great swimmer, H. Jamison Handy, won a bronze medal in the breaststroke as a member of Central YMCA Olympic squad in 1904. Handy improved the crawl with an underwater exhaling technique that brought him record-setting national championships between 1906 and 1909. During the 1960s, Hinsdale Central dominated state pool competitions producing Olympian and world record holder open water champion John Kinsella also an English Channel swimmer that later attended Indiana University swimming for James ‘Doc’ Councilman with Mark Spitz and Gary Hall Sr.

CHICAGO MARATHON SWIM News Clip

Silver Loving Cup Has Been Presented by W. H. Thompson of Illinois A. C.

News Reprint. CHICAGO, Aug. 9, 1910 — One of the richest prizes ever offered for an event of Its kind is the $1000 silver loving cup that has been donated by William Hale Thompson, the first president of the Illinois Athletic club of Chicago, as a perpetual trophy to be competed for by swimmers in the annual Chicago river marathon, which will take place on August 13. Rules for, the race are made, especially stringent this year, a rigid examination by physicians being mandatory before swimmers will be allowed at the starting point. Contestants failing to pass the examination will be barred, and those showing signs of any weakness whatever during any part of the race will be compelled to retire from the competition at once. The marathon is to be held under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic union and Is open to all registered athletes. The course, decided upon officially at a meeting of the Illinois Athletic club athletic committee, will be from the Chicago life savings station to Jackson boulevard on the river.

River Marathon Swim – Concept

The event is in the earliest of planning stages, with many questions to be answered and approvals sought but the possible athletic and economic outcome is without question a potential milestone to the arteries that have been for 100 years diseased with pollution, congestion, and mis-use as a sewer that is until recently. 

We envision a nominal 5k (2.4 mile) swim commencing in the south branch at Ping Tom Park located in the south loop, China Town area at the new river kayak, canoe and recreation basin launch. Proceeding North approximately 1.5 miles along the right hand side of the channel turning into the main stem branch heading East toward Michigan Avenue. The planned exit will be in the Riverwalk area where accessibility has been built into the river bank.

Future alternative distance swim events are being planned from 1 mile to 10 miles for different qualified levels of swimmers from triathlon to open water racers from entry points such as East Bank Club, Goose Island, or River City.

Each potential future event has its own conduct requirements, safety and planning needs to be well vetted with all stakeholders.  Combining swim events with other athletic events such as canoe and sculling races, traditionally held in the river offers other benefits to organizers.

Entry from Ping Tom Park, South Loop/Chinatown with participant access from nearby Redline trains and public support facilities makes this entry point ideal to support the gathering and start of such future events.

The view looking north to Willis Tower, offers swimmers a straight line course to warm-up and prepare for the busier and more confined walled channel.

View north from water level. You can see concrete embankments, both sides that are not to be approached. 

Bridges proceeding north in financial district begin potential public viewing but also have pilings to be avoided slightly outside of embankment areas. 

In this stretch facing north companies have water taxi service docks for commuters

View just before the intersection of south, north branches and main channel (wolf point) where course turns right (east) toward Lake Michigan. This entire stretch has low to water river walk for access/egress. Boats can pull up and dock here for bars so be aware of private small water craft.

The Riverwalk steps are the planned exit point.

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

Swimming the Distance: How Do We Get from Here to There?

2014 Don Macdonald's watchful safety eye looking over Doug McConnell swimming around Manhattan Island

Last summer, 11 intrepid individuals jumped into the Cal-Sag Channel as part of the Cal-Sag Plunge. This monumental occasion signified that the more than 100-year history of the river as a sewage canal is over and recreation in, on, and along the water is here to stay. 

But is the river really safe enough for swimming? Who says so?  And how do they know?

Please join Friends of the Chicago River, along with other water quality experts, policy advocates, and urban swimming champions as we explore these questions and discuss how to make swimming in the Chicago River system a reality.

Speakers include David Barra, New York Open Water; Jessica Dexter, Environmental Law & Policy Center; Willie Levenson, Human Access Project; and David St, Pierre, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. A panel discussion will follow.

Click here for the summit agenda. 

Chicago River Summitt

Conquering Hawaii's Biggest Waves

Don Macdonald kayaking down the face of a huge rolling wave crashing down on Doug McConnell

It's a few months since escorting Doug McConnell (A Long Swim) across the Molokai Channel, better known as the Ka’iwi Channel (or Channel of Bones) separating the islands of Molokai and Oahu.

Stretching 26 miles (42 kilometers) and plunging to a depth of 2,300 feet (701 meters), the Ka’iwi Channel has the reputation as one of the world’s most treacherous bodies of water.



Leaving at midnight in pitch black inky warm, with not even a house light from shore, we shoved off from shore Doug's red and green safety lights blinking away as the only visual contact between us, stars shining so bright I felt like Christopher Columbus knowing ahead there was an island yet to reveal itself after 18 hours of sun drenched paddling.

I knew that each human powered race across the Channel of Bones is regarded worldwide as the crowning achievement of the sport and it doesn’t give up easily.

Some 16 hours later, after calm seas and great swimming, mother nature unleashed strong winds following behind a tropical depression driving the seas to 12 foot.
The escort boat with a fly bridge would dip down in the trough ahead of us and disappear completely.

As evening fell, it became apparent mother nature had won this day. I leaned over to Doug and said ‘you have to let it go’, your sister and dad will understand and prefer you come home safe. I find in these swims when every ounce of energy is depleted and you are mentally destroyed, you must help swimmers (who are in a depressed state) to make these decisions with little coaching comments and suggestions to allow them to come to the right (and safest) decision. We abandoned the swim within a 1/2 mile of shore but facing jagged black rock walls, 10-foot surf to come ashore and darkness once again.

Before we left, I reflected on some recent history which left an impression and one that would live up to its reputation. The tragic loss of Hawaiian big-wave rider and waterman Eddie Aikau in the Ka’iwi Channel during the 1978 Polynesian voyage of the Hokule’a sailing canoe added to the mystique and revered power of the channel. After gale force winds and 30-foot swells disabled the Hokule’a, Aikau left the ship on his rescue paddle board to seek help for his stranded crew mates. His body and board were never found. Paddling has been a part of Hawaiian heritage since early Polynesians navigated thousands of miles of open ocean guided by nothing more than currents, wind and stars. Double-hulled sailing canoes were used to cover longer distances and single-hull outrigger canoes covered shorter, inter-island distances.

I am sure we will be back and if mother nature allows, we will be standing on the Oahu shore.

Hawaii Channel of Bones Swim - Doug McConnell & ALS

For those of you interested in watching live feed tracking the ALS team as we move across the Molokai Channel

July 25th - 30th is the swim window

Total time 16-18 hours

We will have the team on the escort safety boat (always very good practice), two kayakers with anti-shark devices and a whole bunch of sunscreen, food, and motivation.

Enjoy the swim

Consider donating at: http://www.alongswim.com/molokaichannel/

Link: http://track.rs/alongswim/

Affects of Fueling from Sugar or Carbs and Affects on your body

A Long Swim & One Stroke at a Time Teams

"Channel of Bones" Hawaii Charity Swim

July 25-31, 2016

First lets talk about health fueling when you swim - 

Two great video shorts on the affects of fueling your body using sugar based diet or carb based diet in easy and simple to understand terms.

The affects of these fuels, the timing, and amounts can act as a arterial inflammation agent. Review and consider the fuels used for open water and marathon level athletic events. Consider using natural foods as an alternative such as juices, fruits, peanut butter rather than dextrose based gels and Gu pacs.

Keep up the great adventures and remember One Stroke at a Time.

Catch our next adventure kayaking for friend and training partner Doug McConnell and the A Long Swim (ALS) team as we attempt to cross the Channel of Bones from Molokai to Oahu over some 18 hours of truly open ocean swimming. 

Heres the link: http://www.alongswim.com/meet-the-team-don-macdonald/

Eat Well, Live Well

The next big Adventure - Kaiwi Channel for Friend Doug McConnell and Team ALS

2016 is looking like an exciting year with swimmers from the US, Australia, Russia, Mexico, India among the swimmers to challenge Kaiwi this year.

To date Kaiwi has been conquered solo 37 times and 5  relay teams have successfully crossed the Ka'iwi Channel between Molokai and Oahu. If you are up to the challenge just send an email with your swim experience and an approximate date for your swim. We'll guide you from there.

1)   What is the distance across the Kaiwi Channel?

The shortest distance is 26 miles. From where most swims start to where we try to finish is 28.5 statute miles. When starting this adventure have a conversation with crew and boat pilot about how you want distances measured - nautical mph, kph or  statute mph. 

2) Where do we stay?

In Waikiki or near there. Lots of options depending on your budget but the cheapest prices are about $100 per night. Check travel websites. A few recently have used Air B&B. One night max on Molokai and this can wait till you get here. Options for the swim are to either spend one day/night on Molokai or fly over and go right to swim start. That can be decided in advance or when you get here.

3) Can we go over to Molokai on the boat instead of flying?

You can but it is not recommended.  Its really an awful boat ride. Most swimmers who tried regret it. Its exhausting and if you at all prone to seasickness, it really can adversely affect your swim.

4) Do we need Kayakers? 

Yes, they are mandatory.The Kaiwi channel is usually so rough that the boat isn't really that close. And even when it is, it isn't going in a straight line. Here you steer off the kayak. The kayakers can steer very straight and get feedback from the boat when a course correction is necessary. For both safety and steering we use two so someone on a kayak is always at your side. (This is where I come in).

Like other big swims, dehydration, guidance, moral support, sharks, food, and of course some man-to-man humor will be involved, groveling on Doug's part is usually included.

Our Host, jeff kozlovich giving some tried and true advice for the big swim and sage advice to those intrepid swimmers trying the big one.