One of the Daily Mail races and the Billy Butlin Cross Channel International Swims are well-known historical races in the 1950s, there was another series of professional races held 50 years ago that were organized by the Saudi Arabian Swimming Federation together with the Channel Swimming Association.
The races were sponsored by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz who was a member of the International Olympic Committee.
According to International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honoree Michael Read, the races took place August 14th 1975, August 18th 1976, August 21st 1977, August 28nd 1978 and August 24th 1979.
During the first three years, the races were only open to Arabic swimmers, but the 1978 and 1979 races were opened up to include other swimmers. In 1979, there was a major international race with 18 swimmers representing 18 different countries with £1,000 in prize money (equivalent to US$2,230) for the winner. Some of internationals who participated included John Kinsella of the USA, Claudio Plit of Argentina, Michael Read of England, Raymond Dixon of Great Britain (who would later become an escort pilot), and Des Renford of Australia.
One of the problems with the races was that there were money prizes, but the races had amateur swimmers competing with professionals which, at that time, was against the amateur rules of that era.
For the first three years, the event was called Arab Nations English Channel Race.
1st Arab Nations Race Results in 1975
1. Monir Amin Gad, 9 hours 40 minutes
2. Ibrahim Faidalla, Egypt, 9 hours 50 minutes
3. Marawan Saleh, Syria, 9 hours 59 minutes
4. Maher Saleh, 10 hours 32 minutes
5. Omnia Tantawi, 10 hours 32 minutes
6. Abla Khairy, 10 hours 52 minutes
7. Yehya Si Saati, 11 hours 0 minutes
8. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, 12 hours 28 minutes
9. Zohir Sharafeldin, 13 hours 20 minutes
2nd Arab Nations Race Results in 1976
1. Marawan Saleh, Syria, 9 hours 27 minutes
2. Magdy Mandour, 9 hours 43 minutes
3. Nasser El Shazly, Egypt, 9 hours 45 minutes
4. Nazla Faidalla, 10 hours 39 minutes
5. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, DNF after 11 hours 40 minutes, ordered out of water, close to beach
6. Abla Khairy, DNF after 11 hours 37 minutes, ordered out of water, close to beach
7. Fariad Chattah, DNF after 3 hours 12 minutes due to seasickness
8. Sara Gadalla, DNF after 4 hours 45 minutes due to exhaustion
9. Mandauh Mustaffa, DNF after 2 hours 30 minutes due to cramps
3rd Arab Nations Race Results in 1977
1. Nasser El Shazly, Egypt, 8 hours 45 minutes [shown above on right]
2. Elsaid Fagher, Saudi Arabia, 8 hours 52 minutes
3. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, 8 hours 54 minutes
4. Nazla Faidalla, Egypt, 10 hours 39 minutes
5. Ossama Rashad, Egypt, 10 hours 20 minutes
6. Ibrahim Faidalla, Egypt, 11 hours 6 minutes
7. Sultan Kigab, Sudan, DNF after 11 hours 20 minutes, 3 miles of Cap Gris Nez
8. Maher Saleh, DNF after 2 hours 13 minutes due to cramp
9. Farid Khamis, DNF after 1 hours 45 minutes due to stomach pains
4th Arab Nations Race Results in 1978
1. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, 9 hours 54 minutes [shown above]
2. Ibrahim Faidalla, Egypt, 10 hours 4 minutes
3. Elsaid Fagher, Saudi Arabia, 10 hours 7 minutes
4. Raymond Dixon, Great Britain, 10 hours 43 minutes
5. Marawan Saleh, Syria, 11 hours 15 minutes
6. Jula Hagus, Hungary, 12 hours 4 minutes
7. Nazla Faidalla, Egypt, 11 hours 6 minutes
8. Desmond Renford, Australia, 14 hours 1 minutes
9. Kevin Murphy, Great Britain, DNF after 6 hours 52 minutes [shown below]
10. Paula Pinto, Italy, DNF after 5 hours 44 minutes
11. Corrie Dixon, Holland, DNF after 4 hours 45 minutes
12. Sultan Kigab, Sudan, DNF after 3 hours 30 minutes
13. Maher Saleh, Syria, DNF after 2 hours 30 minutes due to
14. Gianni Golini, Italy, DNF after 2 hours 11 minutes
Saudi Arab International Channel Swimming Race Results in 1979
In 1979 and 1981, the English Channel races were organized by the Saudi Arabian Swimming Federation and the Channel Swimming Association.
1. John Kinsella, USA, 9 hours 10 minutes
2. Claudio Plit, Argentina, 9 hours 45 minutes
3. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, 9 hours 56 minutes
4. Cynthia Nicholas, Canada, 10 hours 10 minutes
5. Joke van Staveren, Holland, 10 hours 26 minutes
Saudi Arab International Channel Swimming Race Results in 1979
1. Claudio Plit, Argentina, 8 hours 58 minutes [shown below]
2. Masry El Basam, Syria 9 hours 10 minutes
3. Ian Muir, England, 9 hours 58 minutes
4. Cynthia Nicholas, Canada, 10 hours 11 minutes
5. Alawi Mekki, Saudi Arabia, 10 hours 33 minutes
According to Sue Guesdon, Prince Faisal funded the English Channel races because he was also financially supporting the International Long Distance Swimming Federation and the Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli which, at the time, doubled as the world marathon swimming championship. Egypt’s General Zorkani of the International Long Distance Swimming Federation was in charge of the logistics and operations of the English Channel races together with Ray Scott and Audrey Scott with the assistance of official Channel Swimming Association observers.
Fast Times in Old Times
Although most of swimmers in the front swam in close proximity to each other [not drafting], the finishing locations were spread apart along the French coastline in the previous century’s non-GPS era.
There were 12 inductees in International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame who competed or helped organize these races:
- Marawan Saleh of Syria
- Nasser El Shazly and General Zorkani of Egypt
- Alawi Mekki of Saudi Arabia
- Ray Dixon, Kevin Murphy, Ray Scott, and Audrey Scott of Great Britain
- John Kinsella of the USA
- Claudio Plit of Argentina
- Cynthia Nicholas of Canada
- Desmond Renford of Australia
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