The 2026 SCAR Swim Challenge, the 4-day stage swim in Arizona, is on with Day One across Saguaro Lake completed and Canyon Lake on the dock on Day 2 today.

Chris Cook (45, UK, 45, MSF bio here) is back in Arizona after finishing fifth overall in the 2023 edition. But the former pool sprinter led the pack yesterday in 4:14:37.3. His time this year was nearly an hour slower than he swam in 2023.

Race director Kent Nicholas (58, USA, MSF bio here) explained why, “Today the Mormon Flat dam, which is only 100 years old this year, decided to ‘celebrate’ by challenging our swimmers with a countercurrent and drawing water to create hydroelectric power during our swim. One hour of swimming in the same place is a mental obstacle. Of the 45 swimmers in the water, 39 finished which is a testament to the fortitude of this group. Chris took the honors and the female honors went to Edie Hu from Hong Kong. It was the toughest Saguaro swim in 15 years by a long shot.“

Cook said after completing the 15th crossing of Saguaro, “Well, that was tough! Almost an hour slower than I did 3 years ago, yet I’m feeling fitter and stronger. Today the lake decided to give all the swimmers a present in the form of a reverse current, where water was being sucked back into the dam. The impact was so sudden and so extreme it left boats grounded as the water level dropped. There were parts of this swim I was stationary, trying to inch forwards, finding a route that wasn’t as strong. I also had large sections where my 100 pace dropped to 3 – 4 minutes, much slower than I’d normally do.The result was a much tougher than anticipated start to SCAR, swimming well over an hour longer than I had mentally prepared for and far more fatigued than I hoped to be, ahead of tomorrow.“

Edie Hu (50, Hong Kong, MSF bio here) reflected on Day One, “Total fluke. It was a tough swim, but I think I had it much easier because I started in wave 1, technically for the slower swimmers. Wave 2 and 3 swimmers got slammed much harder by the currents that kept them in one place for an hour. I was pretty sure that those guys would eventually catch and pass me. But today I was lucky. I was helped by the brilliant navigation of Madison, my kayaker. Tomorrow is another day – onward to Canyon.”

2026 SCAR Saguaro Lake Results

1. Chris Cook, UK, 45, 4:14:37.3
2. Edie Hu, Hong Kong, 50, 4:29:37.1
3. Albie Ashbrook, New Jersey, USA, 56, 4:33:56.8
4. Linda Clarke, Ireland, 51, 4:34:21.3
5. Amy Meskill, Connecticut, USA, 35, 4:34:50.7
6. Martin Henriksen, Washington, USA, 51, 4:35:34.2
7. Christopher Allshouse, Ohio, USA, 55, 4:36:54.2
8. Rachael Bartel, California, USA, 29, 4:37:52.6
9. Stephen Robinson, UK, 51, 4:39:07.0
10. Tracy Knight, Indiana, USA, 53, 4:43:21.9
11. Riley Quinlan, Arizona, USA, 31, 4:45:53.9
12. Mark Spratt, Iowa, USA, 70, 4:49:27.4
13. Manon Francois, France, 31, 4:54:16.1
14. Michelle Saul, Arizona, USA, 38, 4:55:42.8
15. Avery Albright, Arizona, USA, 12, 4:56:55.1
16. Bruce James, Alabama, USA, 31, 4:58:37.5
17. Leslie Hamilton, New York, USA, 33, 4:58:52.1
18. Isabella Johnson, California, USA, 28, 5:07:18.4
19. Christopher Calby, Connecticut, USA, 35, 5:13:20.9
20. Eric Durban, Washington, USA, 70, 5:14:07.1
21. Philip Kilmartin, Ireland, 59, 5:14:28.0
22. Jessica Deckard, Colorado, USA, 43, 5:16:28.4
23. Brenna Wojtysiak, Arizona, USA, 27, 5:19:06.3
24. Kathleen Leslie, Maryland, USA, 58, 5:20:01.5
25. Jessi Harewicz, Canada, 43, 5:20:21.2
26. Kerston Corns, Arizona, USA, 26, 5:28:20.7
27. Matthew Schollard, Arizona, USA, 44, 5:29:46.9
28. Madi Carioty, Arizona, USA, 30, 5:40:20.6
29. Kathy McCarty, Maryland, USA, 64, 5:41:32.6
30. Sophie Ryan, Ireland, 48, 5:43:44.7
31. Tom Minnock, Pennsylvania, USA, 62, 5:46:21.7
32. Sara Castellano, Colorado, USA, 49, 5:48:18.2
33. Noah Heilbrun, Oregon, USA, 45, 5:58:48.8
34. Kiran Williams, Arizona, USA, 17, 6:04:16.4
35. Jason Heavens, Arizona, USA, 62, 6:17:01.0
36. Sara Barbera, Massachusetts, USA, 54, 6:20:05.8
37. Alec Offner, Arizona, USA, 34, 6:21:03.4
38. Marti Henshaw, Arizona, USA, 65, 6:22:26.3
39. Gerald George, Arizona, USA, 67, 6:23:53.3
DNF Elizabeth Sharpe, California, USA, 49
DNF Gina Harden, Florida, USA, 66
DNF Mike Healey, Oregon, USA, 73
DNF Valerie Bates, Tennessee, USA, 24
DNF Rob Forst, Texas, USA, 55
DNF Joseph Abel, Arizona, USA, 60

For more information, visit www.scarswim.com.

© 2026 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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