Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
27 solo swimmers and 9 relays took part in the second annual Portland Bridge Swim in Oregon.
An army of volunteers, many of whom were witnessing their first swimming event, were introduced the sport of open water swimming at the 11-mile downriver swim under all 11 bridges on the Willamette River.
Swim pioneer and race director Marisa Frieder said, “The weather was cold, cloudy and even a little drizzly. But it kept boat traffic down.
There was a crowd of friends and family on the dock to see the swimmers off on their journey, and Portlanders came out to cheer the swimmers on from the bridges.
Ryan Bullock finished first in 3:49:14, beating last year’s winning time by half an hour. Alyson O’Brien was the first women in 4:12:29. Jake Ramsey, Nicholas Hanson-Holtry and Kori Carpenter took first place for the relays, coming in at 4:03:12.
All 32 entrants completed the swim, with Hadar Aviram wrapping up the day by swimming butterfly to the finish in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Participants spoke of the beauty of the swim and the challenges they faced in the second half of the course.
Organizers hope that the Portland Bridge swimmers will all become ambassadors for the continued health of Portland’s much-maligned jewel, the Willamette river.”
Top 10 results inclusive of solo swimmers and relays:
1. Ryan Bullock – 3:49:14
2. James Proffitt – 4:02:00
3. Relay Ramsey – 4:03:12
4. Relay Watkins – 4:09:22
5. Alyson O’Brien – 4:12:29
6. Greg Jablonski – 4:14:17
7. Thomas Grandine – 4:19:49
8. Lindsey Millard – 4:21:09
9. Oscar Mraz – 4:21:09
10. Relay Istok – 4:21:27
Remaining results are posted here.
Copyright © 2012 by World Open Water Swimming Association