40 Bridges - Double Manhattan Island Swim

The 40 Bridges - Double Manhattan Island Swim is an ultra-marathon open water river race held around Manhattan Island in New York City, New York. The course requires athletes to complete two full circumnavigations of the island, covering a non-stop distance of 57 miles, or 91,800 meters. Both the start and the finish are staged at Pier A, sending swimmers along an endurance route through the tidal channels that wrap around the metropolis. The event is organized by New York Open Water. Swimmers can undertake the marathon distance either as a solo competitor or as part of a two-person tandem. Every participant is accompanied along the entire course by a dedicated escort boat, an individual paddler, an official observer, and real-time GPS tracking.

In past editions, water temperatures in the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers were measured in the mid-70s °F. These warm conditions allow swimmers to sustain an uninterrupted rhythm. Because of the enormous mileage, the swim inevitably extends through the night.

The Harlem River: Fifteen Bridges and the Tidal Treadmill

The 57-mile course unfolds across three connected bodies of water: the East River, the Harlem River, and the Hudson River. The Harlem River provides a distinct environment, being crossed overhead by fifteen bridges. Navigating beneath this succession of arches and trusses gives competitors an intimate perspective on New York's historic infrastructure. Swimmers must negotiate this narrow urban corridor twice during their double lap of the island. The tactical crux of the entire race arrives during the second lap when entering the Harlem River. At this point in the swim, competitors face an opposing current that flows directly against their forward progress. When meeting this incoming tidal current alongside an adverse headwind, the river behaves like an exhausting swimming treadmill or a hamster wheel. Forward headway requires relentless pacing and disciplined stroke mechanics, holding the line behind the support boat until the tidal resistance finally eases.

The second lap at night: a 2021 swimmer's account

In his account of the 2021 40 Bridges swim, John Batchelder says he pulled into the little harbor around Pier 40 at about the 8 hour mark, which effectively ended his first lap, and then treaded water for perhaps an hour to wait for the tide to change. Night fell as he rounded the south end of Manhattan, less than 30 minutes into the second lap, and the city lights along the East River were quite a sight. The water was a bit bumpier on the East River during that leg, and the waves calmed again on reaching the Harlem River and stayed calm for the rest of the swim. Heading up the Harlem River there were far fewer city lights than at the south end of the island, and swimming upstream meant hugging the eastern shore to keep away from the stronger currents. At the Triborough Bridge he found himself swimming in place, making no progress against the stronger current of the water flowing under the bridge. Dawn broke when he was midway down the Hudson, and he could finally rest his eyes after a night spent tracking small lights in the darkness.

East River Waterfront: The Landing of Cleopatra's Needle

Along the East River shore, the race course passes historical waters. Less than one kilometre from the water stands Cleopatra's Needle, an ancient Egyptian obelisk whose red granite was originally quarried near the first cataract of the Nile. In early July 1880, the obelisk and its pedestal arrived at the New York Quarantine Station aboard the steamship SS Dessoug. The vessel had been modified with a large opening cut into its starboard bow so the monolith could be rolled into the hull upon cannonballs. Transporting the massive red granite structure inland from the banks of the East River required a team of 32 draft horses.

The Upper Hudson Shoreline: From Stryker's Bay to the Palisades

Near the foot of 96th Street once lay Stryker's Bay, a prominent river landing that served waterborne travelers before being replaced by infilled parkland. Much of this western riverfront was once part of the colonial Apthorp Farm, whose property boundaries extended westward all the way to the Hudson River water's edge. The Apthorp house itself stood on elevated ground, offering a direct view across the Hudson River toward the towering rock wall of the New Jersey Palisades. Completing the final miles down the Hudson toward the finish line at Pier A concludes a monumental 57-mile non-stop double circumnavigation. Negotiating the changing tides of three separate river channels requires profound physical endurance and mental grit. Circling Manhattan twice remains one of the pinnacle ultra-marathon tests anywhere in open water swimming.