Courtesy of Marisa Frieder, Huntington Beach, California.

The Portland Bridge Swim will be held on July 10th as swimmers competed down the Willamette River in Oregon.

Founded in 2011 with just 16 swimmers, the Portland Bridge Swim is a 10.7-mile (17.2 km) race through the heart of downtown Portland. The swim is among the longest in America’s Pacific Northwest and is a rare marathon swim in an urban environment.

“There is no sleeping in tents or lonely swims with no change in scenery,” says race founder Marisa Frieder. “Swimmers can explore Portland’s great food and breweries and – best of all – can see spectators along the course. The spectators’ energy spills over to swimmers as they make their way under Portland’s 12 iconic bridges.”

The first four hours of this year’s swim is against the incoming tide.

The oncoming rush of water will create an additional challenge when swimmers reach the 5-mile bridge-free stretch in the second half of the course.

Frieder asks, “Are you strong enough to fight the tide and your own head to make it to the beautiful St. Johns Bridge? Come on and find out.
The Portland Bridge Swim is open to solo swimmers and 3-person relay teams with entries capped at 80. A 5000-yard qualifying swim is required for solo swimmers and all entrants must have an escort kayaker.”

Registration opens on March 1st to coincide with the opening of Portland’s newest bridge.

For more information, visit www.portlandbridgeswim.com or contact the organizers at portlandbridgeswim@gmail.com.

Photo by Randy Rasmussen shows Emily Melina, winner of the 2011 Portland Bridge Swim.

Copyright © 2016 by World Open Water Swimming Association