Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Swimmers and fans around the world expected Grace van der Byl to win the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim.

It took 2 attempts for the California marathon swimmer to realize her goal in completing the 28.5-mile circumnavigation around Manhattan Island in New York, but she got the job done in victorious fashion today.

With a humble spirit and generous soul, Van der Byl is hugely motivational to many – both young and old.

Her position and that of the entire field during today’s Manhattan Island Marathon Swim was accessible via the Internet in real-time which many followed around the world. New York swimmer Tobey-Anne Saracino was tearing up during the swim while Californian David Crean expressed his own tears of joy.

Megan Melgaard, coaching Malena Hankins in today’s MIMS race, reported that the “current was going strong in the first section of the race, but it calmed down at Hell’s Gate and was normal down the Hudson River. It was a nice sunny day with a light breeze, and a water temperature of 63.5ºF (17.5ºF).”

The final results:

1. Grace van der Byl (36) 7:14.03
2. Samir Barel (30) 7:17.59
3. Karen Zemlin (46) 7:23.44
4. Richard McKern (41) 7:41.07
5. Rowan Webb (42) 7:41.08
6. Christopher Burke (52) 7:43.20
7. Suzanne Heim-Bowen (55) 7:47.45
8. Ken Classen (53) 8:04.10
9. Malena Hankins (40) 8:05.49
10. Ernie Hoftyzer (44) 8:09.18
11. Anna DeLozier (51) 8:09.53
12. Mark Smitherman (56) 8:10.50
13. Gordon Gridley (42) 8:10.56
14. Sergio Salomone (46) 8:12.28
15. Javier Merida (41) 8:13.11
16. Charlotte Brynn (48) 8:14.31
17. David Uprichard (48) 8:17.20

Facebook photo courtesy of Tobey-Anne Saracino.

Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association