UltraRunning Magazine reported the number of ultra-distance runners in the United States was 52,000 in 2011 and 518,000 people finished a marathon run in the U.S. in 2011.

How do the runners compare with their marathon swimming brethren in the U.S.? It seems the estimated number of swimmers remains still a tiny fraction of endurance runners.

Of all the marathon swims in America (see list below), there are approximately 1,190 solo swimmers in a calendar year who participate in marathon swimming competitions in America (not including the 70-100 swimmers per year who attempt swims in the channels of Catalina, Maui, Santa Barbara and Molokai and the lakes of Tahoe, Michigan, Ontario and other locations, and not including relay swimmers in competitions in the Maui Channel, Lake Tahoe, Manhattan Island or Lake Travis).

1,190 marathon swimmers vs. 52,000 ultra-marathon runners.

If one considers that the running boom in America started in 1972 and the open water swimming boom started in 2008, the difference is reasonable.

1. 193 km (120 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim in New York (7-day stage swim)
2. 45.8 km (28.5 miles): Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York, USA
3. 42 km (26 miles): END-WET in North Dakota, USA
4. 40.2 km (25 miles): In Search of Memphre in Vermont, USA
5. 38.6 km (24 miles): Tampa Bay Marathon Swim in Florida, USA
6. 31.8 km (19.8 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 5 in New York, USA
7. 31.8 km (19.8 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 2 in New York, USA
8. 29.4 km (18.3 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 1 in New York, USA
9. 29.1 km (18.1 miles: 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 7 in New York, USA
10. 28.1 km (17.5 miles): Ederle Swim from New York to New Jersey, USA
11. 27.3 km (17 miles): Rose Pitonof Swim in New York, USA
12. 25 km (15.5 miles): St. Vincent’s Foundation Swim Across the Sound from Connecticut to New York, USA
13. 25 km (15.5 miles): Pensacola Bridge Swim in Florida, USA
14. 24.4 km (15.2 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 4 in New York, USA
15. 21.2 km (13.2 miles): 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim – Stage 3 in New York, USA
16. 20.2 km (12.6 miles): Distance Swim Challenge in California, USA
17. 20.1 km (12.5 miles): Swim Around Key West in Florida, USA
18. 20.1 km (12.5 miles): FKCC Swim Around Key West in Florida, USA
19. 19.3 km (12 miles): Swim Around Charleston, South Carolina, USA
20. 19.3 km (12 miles): That Dam Swim in Alabama, USA
21. 18.8 km (11.7 miles): RiverFest Endurance Swim in Oregon, USA
22. 17.7 km (11 miles): Portland Bridge Swim in Oregon, U.S.A.
23. 16.2 km (10 miles): La Jolla Cove Swim Club 10-miler in La Jolla, California, USA
24. 16.2 km (10 miles): Kingdom Swim in Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, USA
25. 16.2 km (10 miles): Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim in Charleston, Utah, USA (see photo above)
26. 16.2 km (10 miles): Minnetonka Challenge in Minnesota, USA
27. 16.2 km (10 miles): Swim The Suck in Tennessee River Gorge, Tennessee, USA
28. 13.1 km (8.2 miles): Pennock Island Challenge in Alaska, USA
29. 13 km (8.12 miles): Great Salt Lake Marathon Swim in Utah, USA
30. 12.87 km (8 miles): Swim for Freedom in Wisconsin, USA
31. 12.87 km (8 miles): Boston Light Swim in Massachusetts, USA
32. 12.87 km (8 miles): YMCA & MVP Annual Lake Swim in Vermont, USA
33. 11.2 km (7 miles): Bear Lake Open Water Swim in Utah, USA
34. 10.2 km (6.3 miles): Little Red Lighthouse Swim in New York, USA
35. 10 km (6.2 miles): San Francisco Bay 10K Bridge to Bridge Swim in California, USA
36. 10 km (6.2 miles): Swim Across America Long Beach in California, USA
37. 10 km (6.2 miles): Nike Swim Miami in Florida, USA
38. 10 km (6.2 miles): Diamond Lake Open Water Challenge in Minnesota, USA
39. 10 km (6.2 miles): Pensacola Three-Mile Bridge Swim in Florida, USA
40. 10 km (6.2 miles): USA Swimming Open Water Swimming Championships in Florida, USA
41. 10 km (6.2 miles): Lake Del Valle Open Water Swim in California, USA
42. 10 km (6.2 miles): Fire Island Ocean Swims in New York, USA
43. 10 km (6.2 miles): Sound to Cove Open Water Swim in New York, USA
44. 10 km (6.2 miles): Change Your Latitude in Alaska, USA
45. 10 km (6.2 miles): Swim to the Moon in New York, USA
46. 10 km (6.2 miles): Horsetooth Open Water Swim in Colorado, USA
47. 10 km (6.2 miles): Lake George Open Water Swim in New York, USA
48. 10 km (6.2 miles): CAST Classic in Idaho, USA
49. 10 km (6.2 miles): Coney Island Aquarium Triple Dip Swim in New York, USA
50. 10 km (6.2 miles): Flat River Reservoir Champions Challenge in Rhode Island, USA
51. 10 km (6.2 miles): Escape From Skidaway from Georgia, USA

The list of global marathon swims is here.

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