Swimmer Testimonials:
— I came up a little short of the 120 miles I was aiming for. I swam about 108 miles in 40 hours and 24 minutes over 7 days. I finished 6th out of 20 a couple of days and was in 3rd one day 1.6 miles from the finish when I got pulled because of a massive lightning storm (was a real heart breaker at the time). The unexpected, interesting thing was there were so many other positive things that happened that the time/distance thing sort of fell into background. For me, learning how to swim happy in pure shit conditions was a greater feeling than some time or distance. This was one of the happiest week’s of my life. The Hudson has her own magic but it was all the great people I met that made it a transformational experience (all of the great swimmers, my Kayaker, Pat, and all of the kayakers, all of the volunteers from the open water swimming community, David and Rondi, Captain Greg and his crew on Launch5). Best feeling in the world, climbing aboard Launch5, after swimming The Hudson. I came out a better person on the other side because of all of these people. Yeah, it’s the Hudson and the people that were special. The time/distance thing just happened along the way.
— I just wanted to say thank you for organizing and running the 8 Bridges swim. I have done many major races and I was in awe of the scope of this race. There are many moving parts, athletes to care for, hoops to jump through, tides to deal with and I’m sure a great deal bureaucratic red tape to manage. It is a huge undertaking….I was glad to be a part of it all. As the race was unfolding and I was in the river I began to really feel the physical and emotional power of the Hudson. It was an awesome feeling. The 8 Bridges is a premier endurance event and it was one of the finest run, organized and executed events I have been associated with.
—8 Bridges is such a wonderful organization, not only for the opportunities it gives swimmers to test their capabilities but for the environmental focus it provides. Who can’t help but think of the importance of preserving that awesome body of water while being immersed in it and getting a truly unique view and perspective. It’s so special… an experience of a lifetime.
— The whole experience was magical, with each day providing what I needed to continue. I wouldn’t have believed it was possible to swim so much if it hadn’t been conclusively proven otherwise the last two years.
— I loved the swim and was honored to be able to spend the day surrounded by so many great people and amazing swimmers. I can’t wait for next year.
—— One of my MOST favorite vacations. Yes, I said vacation. REALLY well run, superb support, on land and on the water. Super safety conscious, incredibly supportive of ALL swimmers… just a wonderful event. If you can’t do it all, do SOME of it. You will not regret a moment.
— You put on a first class event. “Safety first” was very evident in the quality of the kayakers and support staff. All I needed to worry about was swimming. I find myself following the event on Facebook and thinking about it quite a bit.
— It has EVERYTHING you could want in a marathon swim and you can swim one/several/all legs. The legs can range from relatively doable (stages 3 & 4) to beastly (stage 5).
— We had such a great time. The event was so well organized, and it was such a pleasure for us to be a part of it. We wish we could have been with you for the full seven days. We have memories to last us a lifetime!
— The 8 Bridges Hudson River Race is the most awesome marathon event that I have ever had the privilege to participate in to date. Swimming in the river that built America, racing in conditions that are unpredictable and challenging, the opportunity to see a stunningly beautiful part of the country from a unique perspective, and most importantly meeting new friends that will last a lifetime!!