Alex Kostich Wins Swim Around The Rock

Steven Munatones 08/11/2019 open water swimming No Comment

Alex Kostich Swims Around The Rock

Courtesy of Water World Swim, Alcatraz Island.

Alex Kostich came very close to breaking the original 5.25 km Swim Around The Rock course record set by Oliver Kusch in 1:10:09 in 2011. While Kusch started and finished at Aquatic Park, today’s longer 6 km course started at Crissy Field, rounded Alcatraz, and finished at Aquatic Park.

Annually organized by Pedro Ordenes of Water World Swim, the swim by Kostich was very fast in San Francisco Bay, California.

**Alex Kostich GPS course started a bit after the onshore start**

Several local veterans of swims in San Francisco Bay, including swims that circumnavigate Alcatraz, mentioned that the overall record for the swim from Aquatic Park, around Alcatraz Island, and back to the start at Aquatic Park is held by Bob Placak in 1 hour 5 minutes 15 seconds, set in 1989 at the Alcatraz Invitational Swim organized by the South End Rowing Club.

Kostich explains his journey, “I visited San Francisco for a quick work trip, decided on a few days ago. On a whim, I decided to enter an Alcatraz race – 20 years after my first attempt which was cancelled due to foggy conditions.”

Race director Pedro Ordenes announced, “Alex set a new record in the [new 6 km course of the] Swim Around the Rock. Alex completed the new course in 1 hour 10 minutes 29 seconds.

We agreed that Alex’s route and his speed and current navigation was one of the best we have seen in a long time during the history of this race.”

For more information about the longer Swim Around The Rock event organized by Water World Swim, visit its website here.

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Steven Munatones

Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.

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