Mercedes Gleitze

Mercedes Gleitze is an inductee (Honor Open Water Pioneer Swimmer) in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

International Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Open Water Pioneer Swimmer and International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer Mercedes Gleitze after her English Channel crossing on 7 October 1927

Front page of the Boston Daily Globe, 8 October 1927 reporting on Mercedes Gleitze's swim across the English Channel

Doloranda Pember accepting the International Swimming Hall of Fame honor on behalf of her mother Mercedes Gleitze in Scotland as part of the Global Open Water Swimming Conference

Doloranda Hannah Pember wrote the book In The Wake Of Mercedes Gleitze about her mother Mercedes Gleitze

Mercedes Gleitze (1900-1981) was a British pioneer and marathon swimmer from London.

Films

She is the subject of a documentary film by Clare Delargy entitled Mercedes: The Spirit of a New Age (or Mercedes Gleitze: The Spirit of a New Age), a documentary film produced by Clare Delargy of Delargy Productions Limited and helped launch the first waterproof watch by Rolex, called the Rolex Oyster.
She is the subject of the film Vindication Swim.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

She was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 1969.
She was inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Open Water Pioneer Swimmer in 2014.
She completed 2 channels of the Oceans Seven.
On 7 October 1927, she became the first English woman to swim 33.5 km across the English Channel on her eighth attempt in 15 hours 15 minutes from France to England.
She tried to cross the 35 km North Channel 6 times without success.
- Three times in 1928, Gleitze attempted the North Channel crossing of the Mull of Kintyre from Donaghadee, Ireland to Portpatrick, Scotland, each time ending in hypothermia.
- She attempted both the North Channel Swim course and the Dál Riata Channel Route.
On 5 April 1928, she became the first person to swim the 12.8 km (8-mile) Strait of Gibraltar in 12 hours 50 minutes, starting in Cruces, Tarifa, Spain and finishing in Punta Leona, Morocco at the age of 28.
She accomplished a variety of marathon swims in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa including setting a British female record of 10 hours 45 minutes for swimming in the Thames River in 1924.
In 1929, she swam Lough Neagh in Ireland in 20+ hours.
In 1940, she swam Hellespont in 2+ hours.
In 1941, she swam across Galway Bay in 19+ hours in Eire, Ireland.
In 1941, she swam across Sydney Harbor in Australia.
She swam in Cape Town, South Africa in 1942 to bring the total number of marathon swims to a 51 with 25 of her swims taking at least 26 hours to complete.
She completed a 40-hour endurance swim in the Eglington Street Swimming Baths in Cork, Ireland on 25-26 February 1940.
In 1924, she swam in the Thames, setting the British Ladies’ Record for Thames Swimming over the 26-miles stretch between Putney and Silvertown, in 10¾ hours.
On 18-29 July 1926, she swam down the Thames from Westminster Bridge to Folkestone (120 miles in stages).
On 6 October 1926, she swam 33.5 km across the English Channel from France to England.
On 6 April 1928, she swam 14.4 km across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Africa.
21 June 1929, she swam across The Wash.
12 July 1929, she swam across Lough Neagh (breadthways).
14 July 1929, she swam across Loch Ryan.
28 July 1929, she swam across the Firth of Forth.
15 August 1929, she swam from Portstewart to Moville that was called short after 5 hours due to rough conditions.
16 August 1929, she swam 22.5 km in Lough Foyle from Moville to Portstewart) in 6 hours 55 minutes, commissioned by the Town Clerk of Portstewart Urban Council to boost tourism, escorted by John Kane.
20 August 1929, she swam across Lough Foyle from Portstewart to Moville.
8 September 1929, she swam across Lough Neagh (lengthways).
On 14-18 June 1940, she swam around the Isle of Man (120 miles in stages).
On 6 August 1940, she swam across the Hellespont (Dardanelles) from Europe to Asia Minor.
On 22 August 1940, she swam across The Hellespont (Dardanelles) from Asia Minor to Europe.
On 4 September 1940, she swam in the Sea of Marmara.
On 25 December 1940, she swam across Wellington Harbour in New Zealand.
On 21 January 1941, she swam from Rangitoto Island to Cheltenham in New Zealand.
On 24 January 1941, she won the Manly Swimming/Floating Competition (48 hours) in Sydney, Australia.
On 5 August 1941, she swam across Galway Bay, Eire, Ireland.
On 25 March 1942, she swam from Cape Town to Robben Island in South Africa.
On 26 March 1942, she swam from Robben Island to Cape Town in South Africa.
On 10 April 1942, she swam in the Swartkops River, Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
On 16 April 1942, she swam in the Buffalo River, East London in South Africa.
On 24 April 1942, she swam in the Modder River, Glen, Bloemfontein in South Africa.
On 8 May 1942, she swam in Germiston Lake, Johannesburg in South Africa.
On 15 May 1942, she swam in the Hartebeestpoort Dam, Pretoria in South Africa.
On 22 May 1942, she swam in the Vaal River, Vereeniging in South Africa.

Open Water Swims attempted but not completed

In 1928 between June to November, she made 4 attempts at swimming across the 35 km North Channel.
On 16 September 1928, she made 14-hour endurance sea swim, Blackpool, UK with a target of 25 hours.
In 1929 between August and September, she made 4 attempts at swimming 35 km across the North Channel.
On 2 June 1940, she swam in Moray Firth.
On 4 June 1940, she swam in the Bristol Channel, UK.
On 4 September 1940, she attempted to swim 33.5 km across the English Channel - Dover Town Gold Cup, from England to France.
On 2 August 1944, she attempted to swim 33.5 km across the English Channel from England to France.

Endurance Swims carried out in British pools, except where indicated

26 hours: Edinburgh, 41 Dec 1929/1 January 1940 - Infirmary Street Baths
28 hours: Dublin, Eire, 9-10 February 1940 - Tara Street Baths
40 hours: Cork, Eire, 25-26 February 1940 - Eglinton Street Baths
41 hours: Liverpool, 6-8 March 1940 - Westminster Road Baths
42 hours: Derby, 28-29 March 1940 - Reginald Street Baths
44 hours: Huddersfield, 4-5 April 1940 - Ramsden Street Baths
44 hours: Belfast, 21-22 April 1940 - Ormeau Baths
45 hours: Leicester, 19-20 May 1940 - Belgrave Baths, Cossington Street
46 hours: Sheffield, 24-24 May 1940 - Glossop Street Baths
46 hours: Douglas, 9-10 June 1940 - Henry Bloom Noble Baths
48 hours: Stafford, 4-4 July 1940 - Royal Baths
49 hours: Wolverhampton, 18-19 July 1940 - Municipal Baths
40 hours: Leicester, 12-14 September 1940 - Belgrave Baths, Cossington Street
40½ hours: Dundee, 24-25 September 1940 - Central Baths
41 hours: Hull, 9-10 October 1940 - Madeley Street Baths
41½ hours: Newcastle, 24-25 October 1940 - Northumberland Baths
42 hours: Dublin, Eire, 4-4 November 1940 - Tara Street Baths
42½ hours: Wellington, New Zealand, 41 Dec 1940/1 Jan 1941- Boys Institute Baths, Tasman Street
44 hours: Auckland, New Zealand, 16-16 January 1941 - Auckland Tepid Baths
44½ hours: Christchurch, New Zealand, 12-14 March 1941 - Manchester Street Tepid Baths
44 hours: Adelaide, Australia, 10-11 April 1941 - Crystal Swimming Pool, Unley
44½ hours: Melbourne, Australia, 16-18 April 1941 - Brunswick Baths
45 hours: Rotherham, 41 Dec 1941/1 Jan 1942 - Main Street Baths
45½ hours: Chesterfield, 15-16 January 1942 - Central School Baths
46 hours: Cape Town, South Africa, 18-19 March 1942 - Long Street Baths
46½ hours: Huddersfield, 41 Dec 1942-1 Jan 1944 - Cambridge Road Baths
46 hours: Worthing, 18-20 May 1944- Corporation Baths

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