The Toughest Thirteen (T13 or MSF Toughest Thirteen) is a group of 13 open water swims created by Evan Morrison in 2019 as an challenging alternative to the Oceans Seven.

The swims include the following. For more details, visit here.

• ʻAlenuihāhā Channel: 47 km (minimum) swim between the islands of Hawaii and Maui in the state of Hawaii
• Beltquerung: 25 km swim across the Fehmarn Belt in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany
• Dál Riata Channel: 21 km swim between Mull of Kintyre in Scotland and Ballycastle in Northern Ireland
• Big Swim Derwent River Marathon: 34 km swim in the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia
• False Bay: 33 km swim between Rooi Els to Miller’s Point in South Africa
• Fastnet Rock: 15.6 km (minimum) swim from County Cork on the Irish mainland
• Foveaux Strait: 29 km (minimum) between Stewart Island/Rakiura and from New Zealand’s South Island
• Gulf of the Farallones: 33 – 48 km swim between the Farallon Islands and the California mainland or the Golden Gate Bridge
• Loch Ness: 36 km swim across the famed lake in Scotland
• Monterey Bay: 37 km swim across the bay along the central coast of California, USA
• Round-Trip Angel Island: 16 km swim between Aquatic Park and Angel Island in San Francisco Bay in California, USA
• Strait of Juan de Fuca: 17 km swim between Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada and the state of Washington, USA
• Lago Titicaca: world’s highest commercially navigable lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia

29-year-old Andrew Packer (@apswims, shown above) from San Francisco, California has completed five of the Toughest Thirteen to date:

• December 2020: Round Trip Angel Island in San Francisco Bay in 5 hours 29 minutes
• May 2022: Fastnet Rock crossing from Fastnet to Baltimore in 5 hours 27 minutes
• August 2023: Strait of Juan de Fuca crossing from British Columbia, Canada to Washington, USA in 6 hours 48 minutes
• September 2023: Monterey Bay crossing in northern California in 14 hours 7 minutes
• July 2024: Dál Riata Channel crossing from Scotland to Northern Ireland in record time of 7 hours 26 minutes

Just ahead of Packer with the aim to become the first person in history to complete The Toughest Thirteen is 42-year-old Irishman John Charles Curley (@johncharles.curley, shown above the article coached by Ger Kennedy). Curley has completed six of the swims, with an upcoming 29 km Foveaux Strait attempt scheduled later this month under the escort of IMSHOF Honor Swimmer Philip Rush.

• October 2022: Monterey Bay crossing in northern California in 14 hours 52 minutes
• June 2023: Beltquerung across the Fehmarnbelt in the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany in 7 hours 35 minutes
• January 2024: Derwent River Big Swim in Tasmania, Australia in 8 hours 52 minutes
• July 2024: Dál Riata Channel crossing between Mull of Kintyre and Torr Head in Northern Ireland in 10 hours 45 minutes
• June 2024: Fastnet Rock Swim from the Fastnet Lighthouse to Baltimore in 6 hours 55 minutes.
• January 2025: False Bay in South Africa in 10 hours 38 minutes with Linda Clarke and escort pilot Roger Finch

With five down for Packer and six for Curley, it will be a dual to the finish between and for these two hardened marathoners. But there are also several accomplished marathon swimmers close behind both men: Amy Appelhans Gubser, Suzanne Heim Bowen, Kimberly Rutherford, Sarah Thomas, Joe Zemaitis, and John Zemaitis.

Interesting competition that will take place over the next several years.

© 2025 Daily News of Open Water Swimming

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