He chased gold medalist Ous Mellouli in the Serpentine at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but two-time Olympic medalist Thomas Lurz was being chased in the annual 16km Faros Maratón in the Adriatic Sea from Stari Grad to Faros, Croatia.

And no one caught him as he completed the 16 km race in 3 hours 12 minutes followed by German teammate Christian Reichert and two-time Russian Olympian Vladimir Dyatchin.

Another Olympian Andrea Maurer of Germany, off of her fifth place finish in London, won the women’s division for the second year in a row.

After 37 editions, the Croatian hosts really know how to host a grand marathon swim. Their hospitality and experience are being recognized by the sport as the association is being inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honour Organisation this year in Long Beach.

Faros Maratón is organized by the Croatian Long Distance Swimming Federation and developed over the last 3 decades from a small provincial marathon swim into a world-class event. Over 1,100 athletes from 42 countries have taken part in this international celebration. Previously known as the Yugoslav International Long Distance Swimming Championship, the organisation continued to host their event despite war conditions over the years.

The Faros Maratón will be honored on September 22nd and will enter the pantheon of other world-renowned race organisations like the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association, Traversée Internationale du lac St.-Jean, British Long Distance Swimming Association, Catalina Channel Swimming Federation, Channel Swimming Association, and Fédération Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA).

To register and participate in the 2012 Global Open Water Swimming Conference in Long Beach, visit here.

The results:

1. THOMAS LURZ GERMANY 3:12:07
2. CHRISTIAN REICHERT GERMANY 3:12:08
3. VLADIMIR DYATCHIN RUSSIA 3:12:25
4. DAMIAN BLAUM ARGENTINA 3:14:28
5. EVGENIJ POP ACEV MACEDONIA 3:15:48
6. CODIE GRIMSEY AUSTRALIA 3:17:44
7. DUJE MILAN CROATIA 3:17:45
8. ROKO ČOPAC CROATIA 3:17:47
9. MARIN MILAN CROATIA 3:17:50
10. TSVETAN YORDANOV BULGARIA 3:18:33
11. JAN WILLEM VAN DER GRAAFF NETHERLANDS 3:20:06
12. TOMISLAV SOLDO CROATIA 3:21:22
13. DEJAN MLADENOVSKI MACEDONIA 3:34:11
14. DRAŽEN ADŽIĆ CROATIA 3:51:22
15. DANIJEL ČITAR CROATIA 3:53:11
16. ATTILA MANYOKI HUNGARY 4:22:03
DNF ANES CIPURKOVIĆ BOSNIA & HERZ.
DNF MAURO SEBASTIANO NAPPA ITALY

1. ANGELA MAURER GERMANY 3:17:45
2. ANNA UVAROVA RUSSIA 3:17:50
3. ALEXANDRA SOKOLOVA RUSSIA 3:18:17
4. ESTHER NUNEZ MORERA SPAIN 3:18:41
5. JOHANNA GERSTBAUER AUSTRIA 3:31:48
6. EVELIEN SOHL NETHERLANDS 3:34:07
7. ANJA TRIŠIĆ CROATIA 3:34:31
8. DINA LEVAČIĆ CROATIA 3:36:14
9. ALYSHIA MCCRACKEN SCOTLAND 3:37:39
10. VERONIKA MILERSKA CZECH REP. 3:45:02
11. NIKA PERČIĆ CROATIA 3:59:27
12. IRENE VAN DER LAAN NETHERLANDS 4:05:35
13. MARIANA MELLO BRAZIL 4:26:45
14. BOJANA DEDIĆ SERBIA 4:48:02
15. KATARINA VERKIC AUSTRALIA 4:58:28

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