Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
There may be no one in the open water swimming community who has placed so well for so many years in such a competitive race as has Alex Kostich at the annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The former 3-time Pan American Games gold medalist has faced Olympic gold medalists, Olympians from several countries, and the fastest ocean swimmers and watermen and waterwomen in the world. Yet Kostich [shown on left above with Diamond Head volcano in the background] has never failed to finish in the Top 10 at the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim.
His track record is unparalleled and a credit to his relentless training regimen where he has maintained a fast-paced 8,000 meter workout for decades since he graduated from Stanford University and continued to rise the corporate ladder at Sony Pictures Studios in Southern California.
“Kostich has arrived in Honolulu for his 24th consecutive Waikiki Roughwater Swim, warming up and tapered for another shot at a Top 10 finish,” said former Waikiki Roughwater Swim race director Steven Munatones. “Fortunately, Hurricane Lester looks like it is headed in another direction and today was another absolutely beautiful day on Oahu. Alex looks fit enough to continue his remarkable streak at one of the world’s most competitive – and technically difficult – ocean swims.”
Alex Kostich’s Track Record at the Waikiki Roughwater Swim:
1st year – 1993 WRS: 2nd place overall in 42:59 (age 23)
2nd year – 1994 WRS: 1st place overall in 53:08 (age 24)
3rd year – 1995 WRS: 4th place overall in 42:19 (age 25)
4th year – 1996 WRS: 3rd place overall in 51:59 (age 26)
5th year – 1997 WRS: 4th place overall in 48:25 (age 27)
6th year – 1998 WRS: 4th place overall in 51:15 (age 28)
7th year – 1999 WRS: 5th place overall in 51:00 (age 29)
8th year – 2000 WRS: 2nd place overall in 49:10 (age 30)
9th year – 2001 WRS: 5th place overall in 53:10 (age 31)
10th year – 2002 WRS: 1st place overall in 43:46 (age 32)
11th year – 2003 WRS: 2nd place overall in 1:05:30 (age 33)
12st year – 2004 WRS: 2nd place overall in 50:49 (age 34)
13th year – 2005 WRS: Race cancelled
14th year – 2006 WRS: 1st place overall in 45:25 (age 36)
15th year – 2007 WRS: 10th place overall in 47:55 (age 37)
16th year – 2008 WRS: 5th place overall in 52:54 (age 38)
17th year – 2009 WRS: 5th place overall in 44:39 (age 39)
18th year – 2010 WRS: 8th place in 47:23 (age 40)
19th year – 2011 WRS: 9th place in 46:04 (age 41)
20th year – 2012 WRS: not in top 10 (age 42)
21st year – 2013 WRS: 6th place in 51:12 (age 43)
22nd year – 2014 WRS: 7th place in 49:13 (age 44)
23rd year – 2015 WRS: Race cancelled
24th year – 2016 WRS: 3rd place in 1:01:42 (age 46, see results here)
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