Kristian Rutford

Kristian Rutford's Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming certificate

Kristian Rutford is an American CPA from Nebraska and an accomplished open water swimmer and a 21-time Manhattan Island Marathon Swim participant, known as the King of Manhattan Island.

Marathon Swimming Career

• Rutford is a member of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming with a completion of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, English Channel and Catalina Channel
  • On 5 August 1988, he crossed the English Channel in 10 hours 44 minutes at the age of 28.
  • On 27 August 1988, he completed the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 7 hours 48 minutes 56 seconds.
  • On 22 September 2016, he crossed the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to the California mainland in 11 hours 41 minutes 5 seconds.
• Rutford set the record for the fastest male circumnavigation of Manhattan Island with his 1992 swim of 5 hours, 53 minutes 57 seconds
• He set the fastest crossing of Lake McConaughy in the state of Nebraska, 22 miles in 7 hours 48 hours
• Rutford said before his 1997 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim, ‘I haven’t done the swim without thinking of quitting or wondering why I would come back to do it again.’
• Rutford completed a 10 hour 44 minute crossing of the English Channel in 1988.
• Rutford completed an 11 hour 41 minute crossing of the Catalina Channel in September 2016.
• Rutford participated in the USA Swimming national 25 km championships in Lake Lanier placing 9th in 5 hours 28 minutes.
• Rutford participated in the 30 km FINA World Cup in Sylvan Lake in Canada in 1993.
• Rutford won the 1993 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and set a record of 5 hours 53 minutes in 1992 which was, at the time, the fastest male circumnavigation of Manhattan Island.
• Rutford completed a 17 hour 48 minutes circumnavigation in 1995, the first reverse (clockwise) circumnavigation around Manhattan Island where he had to fight the tides and currents for the 28.5-mile journey.
• Rutford is a member of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim application committee for a decade and served as the Director of the Open Water Swimming competition that is part of the Cornhusker State Games from 1991 – 2000.

Manhattan Island Marathon Swim Record

Rutford completed the following 22 Manhattan Island Marathon Swims. His 20th circumnavigation of Manhattan Island is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.

1. 27 August 1988 fifth in 7:48.56
2. 19 August 1989 sixth in 7:56.39
3. 19 August 1990 fourth in 7:10.04
4. 10 August 1991 second in 7:06.44
5. 29 August 1992 solo in 5:53.57 (record at the time)
6. 21 August 1993 first in 7:26.30
7. 12 August 1995 solo reverse direction in 17:48.30 (first)
8. 3 August 1996 fourth in 7:33.13
9. 19 July 1997 fourth in 7:26.26
10. 11 July 1998 fifth in 7:47.31
11. 12 June 1999 fourth in 7:10.24
12. 27 September 2003 solo in 8:36.15
13. 3 July 2004 eighth in 7:51.18
14. 16 June 2007 13th in 9:51.03
15. 5 July 2008 eighth in 7:55.17
16. 12 June 2010 11th in 8:21.15
17. 18 June 2011 16th in 8:18.45
18. 23 June 2012 12th in 8:10.29
19. 24 August 2013 quiet swim in 8:22.20
20. 28 June 2014 1st group 2 in 8:42.53
21. 1 August 2015 in 7:50
22. On 14 July 2018, he finished 6th in the 45.9 km 20 Bridges Manhattan Swim in New York City in 7 hours 49 minutes 24 seconds.

Marathon Swim Stories

He appeared with Shannon House Keegan on Marathon Swim Stories.

External links

• Jamie Tout DEFCON Training
• Jaimie Monahan's Manhattan Island Exploits Recognized By Guinness World Records
• Shannon House Keegan Talks Marathon Swimming Stories
• Rondi Davies Sets Record Around Manhattan Island
• NYC Swim bio
• NYC Swim website
• Remembering The 2010 Manhattan Island Marathon Swim
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Marathon Swimming
• Open Water Swimming
• Kris Rutford
• New York City Is Rarely Quiet, Swimming Around Manhattan
• Quietly, 9 Swimmers Complete The Circle In Manhattan
• The Yin And Yange Of The Big Apple
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Woman Of The Year Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year Nominees
• 2014 WOWSA Awards Nominees
• 2014 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
• What A Performance In The Open Water
• Round And Round He Goes, The Life Of Kristian Rutford
• Swimming Around Manhattan Over The Past 100 Years
• Kris Rutford Gets Around New York Like No Other
• Keep Left With Your Team Around Manhattan Island
• When Open Water Icons Meet In New York
• Triple Crown Is 28 Years In The Making
• Nathan Payas Does Triple Crown Of Open Water Swimming
• Gino Does Triple Crown Of Open Water Swimming