Jaimie Monahan Channeling Julie Ridge, Around And Around Manhattan Island

Courtesy of Mannahatta Project, Manhattan Island, New York.

Julie Ridge set a Guinness World Record between August 16th and 20th 1985 when she swam a 45.9 km circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island each day for 5 consecutive days. Her original plan was for 6 days, but Day One was cancelled due to weather conditions.

Ridge’s swims included an 8 hour 50 minute circumnavigation on Day Two, an 9 hour 3 minute circumnavigation on Day Three, an 8 hour 43 minute circumnavigation on Day Four, an 8 hour 46 minute circumnavigation on Day Five, and an 8 hour 35 minute circumnavigation on Day Six. A native New Yorker, the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Famer was the first person to complete a double 91.8 km circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island in 1983 over 21 hours 2 minutes.

Jaimie Monahan, another record-setting International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer from New York, is also demonstrating her endurance prowess in the rivers around Manhattan Island – with an incredible track record around Manhattan Island.

Monahan has now completed 21 Manhattan circumnavigation swims over the course of her prolific career – as of yesterday on August 23rd – with seven consecutive 45.9 km swims alone this last week – and at least one to go in her Mannahatta Project:

#21: August 23rd 2020 in 8 hours 24 minutes 31 seconds starting at Pier A
#20: August 22nd 2020 in 8 hours 13 minutes 14 seconds starting at Pier A
#19: August 21st 2020 in 8 hours 20 minutes 59 seconds starting at Pier A
#18: August 20th 2020 in 8 hours 0 minute 30 seconds starting at Pier A
#17: August 19th 2020 in 8 hours 4 minutes 47 seconds starting at Pier A
#16: August 18th 2020 in 8 hours 26 minutes 52 seconds starting at Pier A
#15: August 17th 2020 in 8 hours 51 minutes 31 seconds starting at Pier A
#14: August 6th 2020 in 9 hours 9 minutes 41 seconds starting at Pier A
#13: August 2nd 2020 in 9 hours 10 minutes 42 seconds starting at Pier A
#12: July 25th 2020 in 8 hours 53 minutes 25 seconds starting at Pier A
#11: September 29th 2019 in 7 hours 53 minutes 3 seconds starting at Pier A
#10: September 15th 2019 in 9 hours 10 minutes 51 seconds starting at Pier A
#9: August 11th 2019 in 8 hours 38 minutes 9 seconds starting at Mill Rock
#8: August 3rd 2019 in 8 hours 24 minutes 0 seconds starting at Pier A
#7: July 14th 2019 in 8 hours 20 minutes 0 seconds starting at Mill Rock
#6: July 6th 2019 in 8 hours 45 minutes 0 seconds starting at Pier A
#5: August 28th 2018 in 9 hours 43 minutes starting at Pier A
#4: July 28th 2017 in 8 hours 35 minutes 23 seconds starting at Pier A
#3: July 29th 2017 in 11 hours 36 minutes 28 seconds starting at Pier A
#2: October 1st 2016 in 8 hours 12 minutes 20 seconds starting at Pier A
#1: June 12th 2010 in 9 hours 9 minutes 33 seconds starting at North Cove

She explains (before setting off on Day Seven around Manhattan Island), “Today is Day 7 of a week of Manhattan Swims for me after the Rose Pitonof Swim last weekend. As a New Yorker, the Circumnavigation Swim of Manhattan is a very special one for me. Although I am lucky to travel the world most years, it is important to me to stay home right now to protect our local and global community.”

For more information and to follow Monahan, visit www.jaimiemonahan.com/mannahatta.

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