With 800-yard, 1-mile and 2-mile swims preceding the start of Florida’s 12.5-mile FKCC Swim Around Key West, the beach was buzzing early with activity by swimmers, kayakers, and event volunteers.

127 swimmers participated in this year’s FKCC Swim Around Key West in the 90°F (32°C) water and blazing hot sun.

Lori Bosco and her team calculated the tides and currents just right, enabling the swimmers to be pulled along a swift current along the course.

Ramses Rodriques won the race 4 hours and 16 minutes with Kimberly Plewa swimming to victory on the women’s side in 5 hours and 33 minutes.

Lori commented, “Although it was one of the hottest swims we’ve done in a while, everyone persevered against the heat to achieve their personal best times.”

Solo Finishers included the following swimmers:

Ramses Rodriques (Florida), 4:16:00
Eric Sullivan (Florida), 4;26:59
Andrew McMorrow (Massachusetts), 4:39:16
Brian LaJoie (Florida), 4:41:00
Boris Fernandez (Florida), 4:44:29
Russell Harbach (Florida), 4:49:43
Eric Ruckel (South Carolina), 4:55:28
Matthew Mulroney (Massachusetts), 5:13:42
Ryan Lindner (Florida), 5:23:55
Kimberly Plewa (New Jersey), 5:33:12
Michelle Nelson (Florida), 5:36;29
Joe Young (Colorado), 5:41:35
Kyle Krugler (Florida), 5:52:46
Edward Rada (Florida), 5:55:38
Stephen Gonot (Florida), 5:57:06
Karen Fair Story (Massachusetts), 5:57:29
Kyle Bennett (Florida), 5:59:09
Peter Willmott (Florida), 6:03:10
Kenny Brighton (Florida), 6:03:40
Marc Pelletier (Florida), 6:07:01
Shannon Blake (Massachusetts), 7:11:47
Sergio Radovicic (Florida), 7:16:26
Glenn Sarifin (Florid), 7:59:00
Thomas Krasner (Florida), 7:59:26
Hal Clardendon (Nebraska), 8:00:23

Year in and year out, Key West remains one of the hottest places for open water swimming on the global calendar.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones