One of the records that will most likely continue to be broken over the next few years is the Oldest Person to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming requires swimmers to complete three marathon swims:

• 33.5 km across the English Channel between England and France
• 32.3 km across the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California
• 45.9 km 20 Bridges Manhattan Island, a circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island.

Ed Horne (70, UK, MSF bio here, shown above) is the oldest person to complete the Triple Crown, but it was not an easy road. Horne overcame prostate cancer (in 2011), a hip replacement (in 2017), one unstarted English Channel attempt (due to bad weather and a boat malfunction in 2019), a DNF after 13 hours due to excess fluid in his body In 2020), a DNF after 14 hours in 2021, and finally a 15 hours 51 minutes successful crossing on his attempt in July 2022.

Read about Horne’s English Channel journey here.

Oldest People to Complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming

1. Ed Horne (UK, MSF bio here) 67.8 years
2. Eric Durban (USA, MSF bio here) 67.0 years
3. Lars Durban (USA, MSF bio here) 66.7 years
4. Pat Gallant-Charette (USA, MSF bio here) 64.8 years
5. Jim Clifford (USA, MSF bio here) 63.2 years
6. Paula Yankauskas (USA, MSF bio here) 63.0 years
7. Gina Harden (USA, MSF bio here) 62.6 years
8. Sally Catt (Australia, MSF bio here) 61.8 years
9. Mo Siegel (USA, MSF bio here) 61.6 years
10. Denise Clarke (New Zealand, MSF bio here) 61.6 years

As compiled by the Marathon Swimmers Federation for the average age on day of most recent completion of each swim.

For more information, visit Marathon Swimmers Federation database here.

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