Background

Back in August 2019, 52-year-old Jorge Angel (58, Colombia, MSF bio here, @jorge-angel) set the 19.2 km widthwise crossing of Lake Tahoe (west to east) in 4 hours 43 minutes. A year later, he completed the 17.1 km Vikingsholm crossing in 4 hours 20 minutes (east to west) to become a double Lake Tahoe record holder.

A year later, Angel completed a full-lengthwise 34.2 km crossing in 10 hours 42 minutes to achieve the Lake Tahoe Triple Crown in an impressive cumulative time of 19 hours 46 minutes.

On August 5th 2025, American Alex Kostich (56, USA, @alexkostich) from Los Angeles took a shot at Angel’s 19.2 km true width record under sunny, flat conditions, swimming from Homewood (Cherry St) to Glenbrook (Pumphouse).

Kostich certainly has the distance freestyle pedigree, winning pool events at the Pan American Games and winning several dozens of ocean races at the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, Swim Around Charleston, Naples Island Swim, Dwight Crum Pier-To-Pier Swim, Bora Bora Liquid Festival, Swim Around Key West, La Jolla Gatorman, Seal Beach Rough Water Swim, Tiki Swim and St. Croix Coral Reef Swim Race.

Back in 2025, Kostich set a new standard of 4 hours 28 minutes as he negative-split the 19.2 km crossing. Kostich was at 2 hours 17 minutes after 10 km in the 65°F (18.3°C), swimming straight into the sun at 1,896 meters (6,225 feet) altitude.

Training

Dial forward nearly a year later and Kostich was ready for Lake Tahoe after several months of heavy training, including several long 10 km training swims twice around Naples Island in Long Beach, California, and his intensely fast 8,000 meter 2-hour pool workouts.

Record-setting Crossing

Kostich was primed and ready to set another record this morning, swimming from east to west. His preparation showed as he swam nearly a minute faster per mile today. He broke the previous record of 4 hours 20 minutes, also held by Angel, but admitted, “I really just wanted to have a good swim and try to be under 4 hours.”

With the help of Sylvia Lacock of the Pacific Open Water Swim Co. and the Lake Tahoe Open Water Swimming Association, feeder Suzanne Heim-Bowen, Mikey Flaherty, and observer Kat Filley he crossed in a record-setting time of 3 hours 48 minutes 51 seconds.

Kostich averaged 21:35 per mile along the 17.1 km, compared to last year’s 19.3 km true width crossing when his mile pace was 22:25. His 100m pace was 1:20.3 which, at high altitude, he did not expect. He recalled, “I felt good the entire way, but there was a rough patch of chop midway through the lake that seemed to slow my pace down since one of my mile splits was about 22:20 at that point.“

Heim-Bowen commented, “Alex was very focused. He had a race plan, but as a true open water swimmer, he recognizes that Mother Nature can always throw a little something spicy at you for a true character-building experience.

There was definitely some texture for a couple of miles, but he powered through holding about 71 strokes per minute for the entire course. Then the pristine conditions resumed. Feeds at the first hour and then at every 45 minutes. He held a 1:13 pace per 100 yards and that included feed times – which were less than 20 seconds each feed.

His support crew kept him appraised on pace via whiteboard. His pilot navigated cross current towards the end and kept a good line. An all-out solo swim which takes discipline and determination. It was impressive for sure. I am always happy to support someone as humble and appreciative as Alex.”

Blazing fast, indeed.

Another east-to-west crossing, another record in the books.

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