Distance Matters

Distance Matters (DistanceMatters.com) is an organization founded by Ron Collins that promotes and organizes the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim and Open Water Boot Camp in Clearwater, Florida.

Tampa Bay Marathon Swim Records

• Overall / men's record: Chris Derks, 2002, 7 hours 41 minutes
  
• Women's record: Penny Palfrey in 2008, 7 hours 51 minutes
  
• Longest time in water: Arnie Bellini in 2014, 16 hours 17 minutes
  
• First swimmer: Ron Collins in 1998, 9 hours 52 minutes
  
• First women: Gail Rice in 1998, 8 hours 34 minutes
  
• Fastest 3-person relay: Team Hammerhead in 2006, 7 hours 53 minutes
  
• Fastest 6-person relay: The Sharks in 2006, 7 hours 39 minutes
  
• Oldest male swimmer: 14:21 - Carl Selles in 2014, 14 hours 21 minutes at the age of 67
  
• Oldest female swimmer: 15:22 - Ann von Spiegelfeld in 2014, 15 hours 22 minutes at the age of 52

Ron Collins

Ron Collins is an American pool and open water swimmer, coach and race director of open water swimming competitions and charity swims. Collins was the first person to swim across Tampa Bay in 1998. He is the race director and founder of the 24-mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim. Together with his wife Rebecca Collins, he is also the co-founder and race director of the Swim Across America Tampa Bay, a charity swim that is part of the Swim Across America program, and the Open Water Boot Camp in Clearwater, Florida. He also achieved the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming on 10 September 2013 when he completed the Catalina Channel after completing the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 2002, and the English Channel in 2004.

External links

• What Is Ron Collins Doing Now?
• Tampa Bay Marathon Swim website
• 30 Open Water Swimmers Known By One Name
• Tampa Bay Makes Waves To Fight Cancer
• Swim Across America, Inc. Official Website
• Open Water Swimming
• Marathon Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• List Of Marathon Swims Around The World
• Doug McConnell Digs Deep vs. A Zillion Little Barbs
• Distance Matters In Tampa Bay
• Expect The Unexpected In Tampa Bay
• Dealing With Insomnia Before Getting In The Open Water
• MSF Rules Of Marathon Swimming Announced
• Tampa Bay Frogman Swim Continues To Grow
• Anthony McCarley Taking It To Another Level
• Tough Tackle Turbulent Tampa
• Collins On The Kattack
• Hertz Goes Into Overdrive
• Triple Crowners Showcase Their Fountain Of Youth - Age of Triple Crowners
• What Are Swimmers Known As?
• Distance Matters In Tampa Bay
• Distance Matters Twitter
• World Open Water Swimming Association