Chad Schneider Wins Stage 1 Of 8 Bridges Down The Hudson

Results courtesy of Rondi Davies, Hudson River, New York Open Water.  Video courtesy of kayaker Michael Smalley.

46-year-old Chad Schneider traveled the furthest of all the competitors to get to the 9th annual 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – going from Coogee, Australia to the Hudson River in New York – and was the fastest on Day 1 in the Stage 1 of the 7 stages.

He won the 29.4 km The Islands stage along a narrow, peaceful, and rural part of the Hudson River from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge to the Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge in 4 hours 38 minutes nearly 44 minutes ahead of his closest competitor.  Event visionary and race director Dave Barra reported, “We had near perfect conditions today. Clear skies, a light wind from the north, fast currents. Congratulations to all swimmers for finishing fast, and a big shout out to Chad Schneider for the new Stage 1 men’s record.”

Two of the swimmers – butterflyer John Batchelder and Andrew Wells – have a lot more on their minds; they are planning to swim Stage 2 today and all 7 stages of the 193 km swim.

1. Chad Schneider, 46, Australia 4:38:49
2. Steve Gruenwald, 58, Minnesota 5:22:07
3. Dana Page, 58 Washington DC 5:23:40
4. Lauren Byron, 43, New Jersey 5:24:32
5. Joseph Kaufman, 51, New York 5:25:13
6. Andrew Wallace, 53, New Jersey 5:27:00
7.  John Batchelder, 38, Colorado 5:27:30 [butterfly]
8. Edward Riley, 61, New York 5:28:03
9. Andrew Wells, 40, UK 5:29:36
10. Jim Chiudioni, 60, Massachusetts 5:29:49
11. Mary Stella, 42, Pennsylvania 5:52:45

Stage 2, called The Lighthouses, began at 8:06 am today at the Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge and continue for 31.8 km to the Mid-Hudson Bridge.

1. John Batchelder, 38, Colorado
2. Lauren Byron, 43, New Jersey
3. Judy Caves, 58, Pennsylvania
4. Jim Chiudioni, 60, Massachusetts
5. Dongho Choi, Princeton, New Jersey
6. Rondi Davies, New York
7. Erica Flickinger, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
8. Ryan McCabe, Washington, DC
9. Mary Stella, 42, Pennsylvania
10. Andrew Wells, 40, UK
11. Andrew Wallace, 53, New Jersey
12. Dana Page, 58 Washington DC
13. Janice Burton, 55 Frostburg, Maryland
14. Steve Gruenwald, 58, Minnesota 5:22:07

For race updates, conditions, photos and comments and observations, visit here.

Copyright @ 2008-2019 by World Open Water Swimming Association