List of North Channel swimmers explained

The Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA) has provided authentication observers for swimmers attempting to cross the approximately 35km (22miles) North Channel between Northern Ireland and the Mull of Galloway. According to the ILDSA, this was first accomplished in 1947 by Tom Blower.[1] The first two-way crossing was completed by a six-person relay team on 28 July 2015.[2]

The North Channel is part of the Ocean's seven, a set of seven long-distance open-water swims considered the marathon swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.

Solo (including two-way)

DateNameNationalityDirectionDuration
28 July 1947Tom BlowerEnglandIreland to Scotland15 hrs 26 mins
11 September 1970Kevin MurphyEnglandIreland to Scotland11 hrs 21 mins
29 August 1971Kevin MurphyEnglandIreland to Scotland14 hrs 27 mins
11 August 1973Ted KeenanIrelandIreland to Scotland18 hrs 27 mins
22 August 1988Alison StreeterEnglandIreland to Scotland09 hrs 53 mins 42 secs
23 August 1988Margaret KiddScotlandIreland to Scotland15 hrs 26 mins 03 secs
25 August 1989Alison StreeterEnglandScotland to Ireland10 hrs 04 mins
7 September 1989Kevin MurphyEnglandScotland to Ireland17 hrs 17 mins 48 secs
18 August 1997Alison StreeterEnglandScotland to Ireland10 hrs 02 mins12 secs
27 July 1999Paul LewisEnglandScotland to Ireland14 hrs 28 mins
21 July 2000Stephen PriceEnglandScotland to Ireland16 hrs 56 mins
31 July 2004Colm O NeillIrelandScotland to Ireland11 hrs 25 mins 05 secs
12 September 2008Colleen BlairScotlandIreland to Scotland15 hrs 23 mins 59 secs
31 August 2010Stephen RedmondIrelandScotland to Ireland17 hrs 17 mins 01 sec
1 September 2010Ann Marie WardIrelandIreland to Scotland18 hrs 59 mins 26 secs
27 July 2011Craig LenningUSIreland to Scotland14 hrs 44 mins 50 secs
2 August 2011Howard KeechEnglandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 25 mins
16 June 2013Fergal SomervilleIrelandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 21 mins
30 July 2013Milko van GoolNetherlandsIreland to Scotland10 hrs 34 mins
29 August 2013Darren MillerUSIreland to Scotland11 hrs 16 mins
22 July 2014Guy MoarAustraliaIreland to Scotland11 hrs 10 mins
07 August 2014Colleen MallonNorthern IrelandIreland to Scotland09 hrs 56 mins
6 August 2014Adam WalkerEnglandIreland to Scotland10 hrs 45 mins
2 September 2014Kimberley ChambersNew ZealandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 6 mins
22 July 2015Graeme LoweJerseyIreland to Scotland12 hrs 27 mins
24 July 2015Vicky MillerEnglandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 6 mins
7 August 2015Rohan Dattaray MoreIndia Ireland to Scotland12 hrs 46 mins[3]
7 August 2015Adrian SarchetGuernsey Ireland to Scotland14 hrs 13 mins[4] [5]
11 August 2015Ion LazarencoMoldova/IrelandIreland to Scotland16 hrs 23mins
9 September 2015Tom Pembroke[6] AustraliaIreland to Scotland12 hrs
14 July 2016Cameron Bellamy[7] South AfricaIreland to Scotland12 hrs 16 mins
25 August 2016Edward WilliamsEnglandIreland to Scotland10 hrs 58 mins
24 August 2016Pat Gallant CharetteUSIreland to Scotland14 hrs 22mins
16 August 2017Abhejali BernardovaCzech RepublicIreland to Scotland10 hrs 23 mins[8]
25 June 2018Nicholas Murch United KingdomIreland to Scotland11 hrs 48 mins[9]
5 August 2018Jaroslav ChytilCzech RepublicIreland to Scotland16 hrs 4 mins[10]
5 September 2018 Rachael Elkaim Hanisch AustraliaIreland to Scotland10Hr 32 Min
8 September 2019 Zach Margolis US Ireland to Scotland 14 hrs 24 mins 32 secs
1 July 2021Lauren LesynaUSIreland to Scotland16 hrs 14 mins 37 secs
21 July 2021Elaine Burrows DillaneIrelandScotland to Ireland14 hrs 54 mins 30 secs
19 August 2021Katherine ChapmanUKIreland to Scotland10 hrs 59 mins 02secs
19 August 2021Matt MurphyUKIreland to Scotland12 hrs 35 mins 02secs
29 September 2021Luca Estrada PozziItaly / USIreland to Scotland13 hrs 37 mins 21 secs
15 September 2021Stève StievenartFranceScotland to Ireland14 hrs 44 mins 03 secs
9 July 2022Sarah ThomasUSScotland to Scotland21 hrs 46 mins 38 secs (2-way)
10 July 2022Andrew KeayAustraliaIreland to Scotland14 hrs 30 mins 12 secs
10 July 2022Barry MurphyIrelandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 53 mins 34 secs
10 July 2022Siân ClementWalesIreland to Scotland12 hrs 45 mins 32 secs
22 July 2022Grainne MossIrelandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 33 mins 36 secs
22 July 2022Barbara HernandezChileIreland to Scotland12 hrs 19 mins 36 secs
8 August 2022Alessandra Rossi CimaBrazilIreland to Scotland12 hrs 21 mins 00 secs
8 August 2022Callum EadeNew ZealandIreland to Scotland11 hrs 40 mins 10 secs
8 August 2022Sarah LilesUKIreland to Scotland12 hrs 54 mins 31 secs
9 August 2022Jessi Lidstone HarewiczUKIreland to Scotland18 hrs 15 mins 4 secs
9 August 2022Sarah PhilpottUKIreland to Scotland16 hrs 21 mins 54 secs
23 August 2022Samuel AbeshouseAustraliaIreland to Scotland11 Hrs 16 mins
18 September 2022Victor PineiroArgentinaIreland to Scotland13 Hrs 29 mins
25 August 2022Paul GeorgescuRomaniaIreland to Scotland11 hrs 7 mins 3 secs
27 July 2023Bethany Mitchell USIreland to Scotland 13 Hrs 9 mins 21 secs

Relay teams[11]

DateTeam NameTeam sizeNation of OriginDirectionDuration
27 August 1990Ireland One6IrelandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 03 mns 01 sec
14 August 1993City of Liverpool6EnglandIreland to Scotland10 hrs 39 mins 42 secs
23 June 1996City of Dublin6IrelandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 44 mins 56 secs
20 August 1999The All American6USScotland to Ireland13 hrs 11 mins 39 secs
26 August 2002City of Liverpool6EnglandScotland to Ireland12 hrs 47 mins 41 secs
6 July 2004The Swilly Trio3IrelandScotland to Ireland14 hrs 41 mins 14 secs
22 August 2011Team Camlough Lake6Northern IrelandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 21 mins 12 secs
5 July 201411 Feet Camlough Lake6Northern IrelandIreland to Scotland12 hrs 52 mins 0 secs
7 August 2012The Machine Men3USIreland to Scotland10 hrs 18 mins 0 secs
24 June 2015Wexford Masters6IrelandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 09 mins
28 July 2015Fast and Frozen6WorldwideIreland to Scotland to Ireland (two-way relay)29 hrs 57 mins
7 August 2015Infinity V5IrelandIreland to Scotland13 hrs 15 mins
25 May 2016Deadly Diamonds5Northern IrelandIreland to Scotland10 hrs 20 mins 0 secs
12 June 2016O W Ladies5EnglandIreland to Scotland to Ireland (two-way relay)28 hrs 25 mins
30 June 2016The Celtic Kippers6IrelandIreland to Scotland13 hours 46 mins
25 August 2016Channel Swimming Crazies4Northern IrelandIreland to Scotland09 hours 55 mins 44 secs

Notes and References

  1. Web site: North Channel . Irish Long Distance Swimming Association .
  2. Web site: Cowie . Jonathan . 16 August 2015 . Two relay records set in the North Channel . H2Open.
  3. Web site: Swim the North Channel. Irish Long Distance Swimming Association. en-GB. 2018-07-14.
  4. Web site: Swim the North Channel. Irish Long Distance Swimming Association. en-GB. 2018-03-12.
  5. Web site: Sea Donkey - The inspirational story of an ordinary man's attempt to swim the Northern Channel. en-GB. 2018-03-12.
  6. Web site: Old Boy's epic North Channel swim for charity . St. Joseph's College . 9 September 2015.
  7. Web site: Solo swimmers of the North Channel - Infinity Channel Swimming. en-GB. 2016-07-19. 2016-07-17.
  8. Web site: Solo Female. en. 2018-08-18.
  9. Web site: Doctor conquers 22-mile North Channel. en. The Times. 2019-05-12.
  10. Web site: Czech hardy man conquers North Channel in 16 hours. en. 2018-08-18.
  11. Web site: Relay Team North Channel swim . Infinity Channel Swimming . 2016.

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