Swim Miami
From Openwaterpedia
Contents |
History
The original Swim Miami began in 1989 by Jimmy Woodman, founder of Active.com, in conjunction with Florida Sports Magazine. The event ran successfully through 1998. In 2005, Miami Sports International, a subsidiary of Swim Gym Aquatics, operated by four-year University of Florida swimming captain Jonathan Strauss, then restored the event and adapted it to the the post-Olympic future of open water swimming.
The original idea and concepts for Swim Miami came about due to a demand to bring open water swimming to the forefront of aquatic sports with intentions of developing it into an Olympic sport. It was also created as a way for swimmers to give back to the sport that was able to give them a life of health and fitness.
Swim Miami’s growth and popularity can largely be accredited to its focus on Olympic swimming and its elite swim field. Past Olympians and professionals to swim in the event have included Gary Hall, Jr., Milorad Čavić, George Bovell, Ricardo Monasterio, Anthony Ervin, Ed Moses, Nathan Adrian, Robert Strauss, and Tiffany Cohen.
Current Event
Swim Miami annually takes place in April. It was originally held at the Miami Rowing Club in Key Biscayne, Florida, but was moved to the Miami Yacht Club on Watson Island in Miami in 2011. Swim Miami currently consists of four swims: a ten-kilometer swim, a four-kilometer swim, the Miami Mile, and an eight-hundred meter swim.
Due to strong popular branding of both the swim and its location, the event is well patronized by the general public, attracting upwards of 2,000 combined participants and spectators in the four race categories.
Distances
800m, 1 mile, 5 km, 10 km and Media Challenge
Type
Ocean
Location
City Miami
State/County/Province Florida
Country USA
Region Americas
Contact
Name Jonathan Strauss
Email joner@swimgym.net
Event Information
Month: April
Website: http://www.MiamiSportsInternational.com
Class: Amateur
Wetsuit: No
Charity: Yes
Relay: No
