Kevin Murphy is a British open water swimmer whose well-known quips about his own marathon swimming is that he is ‘going for a little dip‘. He was a renowned reporter in Great Britain as well as a member of The Dover Beach Crew and a dual inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Honors

• Murphy has swum the greatest number of English Channel crossings for a male: 34.
• His England-to-France crossing in 1999 was two hours faster than his first successful crossing in 1968.
• In 1970 he became the first Briton to complete a two-way crossing of the English Channel, which he has done three times.
• He set the record of 11 hours 21 minutes for crossing the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland.
• He is a dual inductee: an Honor Swimmer in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in the Class of 1971 and an Honor Swimmer in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in the Class of 2010.
• He served as the Honorary Secretary of the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation.
• He served as the President of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
• He is a member of the Half Century Club.
• He is a member of the 24-hour club.

English Channel Crossings

• His 34 English Channel crossings include a double-crossing in 35 hours 10 minutes in 1970, his England-France-England swim in 1975 in 36 hours 3 minutes which was notable because he was ordered out of the water because of bad weather after swimming non-stop for 52 hours 30 minutes when he was halfway back on his third leg and his two-way France-England-France crossing in 1987 in 32 hours 42 minutes.
• His 34 English Channel crossings include:
• England-France in 1968 in 15 hours 55 minutes
• England-France in 1976 in 15 hours 0 minutes
• France-England in 1976 in 15 hours 32 minutes
• England-France in 1977 in 14 hours 5 minutes
• England-France in 1977 in 14 hours 14 minutes
• France-England in 1979 in 22 hours 42 minutes
• England-France in 1980 in 17 hours 28 minutes for which he was awarded the Channel Swimming Association’s Endurance Trophy after swimming for 32 hours 42 minute as he was within four miles of completing a two-way crossing
• England-France in 1982 in 15 hours 12 minutes
• England-France in 1982 in 21 hours 22 minutes
• England-France in 1983 in 15 hours 29 minutes
• France-England in 1983 in 15 hours 25 minutes
• France-England in 1984 in 14 hours 58 minutes
• France-England in 1990 in 13 hours 16 minutes in one of the earliest Channel swim ever on 29 May
• England-France in 1991 in 13 hours 58 minutes
• England-France in 1991 in 15 hours 26 minutes
• England-France in 1991 in 17 hours 6 minutes
• France-England in 1992 in 15 hours 5 minutes
• France-England in 1993 in 14 hours 37 minutes
• France-England in 1994 in 15 hours 0 minutes
• England-France in 1995 in 18 hours 27 minutes
• England-France in 1995 in 15 hours 38 minutes
• France-England in 1996 in 15 hours 30 minutes
• England-France in 1997 in 15 hours 45 minutes
• England-France in 1999 in 13 hours 53 minutes
• England-France in 2000 in 14 hours 29 minutes
• England-France in 2000 in 15 hours 10 minutes
• England-France in 2005 in 13 hours 53 minutes
• England-France in 2006 in 15 hours 14 minutes for his 34th crossing

English Channel Relays

• Murphy participated in the following English Channel relays:
• France-England Channel Relay record in 1965 as a member of Phoenicians SC team which set the then team record of 9 hours 58 minutes
• England-France Channel Relay in 1987 with the Marrow Environment Project charity team
• England-France Channel Relay in 1987 with the Channel Swimming Association Diamond Jubilee Team
• England-France Channel Relay in 1991 with the Daytrippers Team
• England-France Channel Relay in 1992 with the Barnet Copthall SC team
• England-France Channel Relay in 2006 with Hubert House men’s team

Marathon Swims

• His relays included the Loch Ness Relay in 2000 and in 2005, the Round Jersey Relay in 2003, the Loch Lomond 2-way Relay in 2002. Murphy’s other marathon swims include the:
• On 2 October 1976, he completed a 13-mile two-way crossing between Weymouth and Lulworth in 6 hours 50 minutes.
• 90 km (56-mile) Round the Isle of Wight in the U.K. in 26 hours 51 minutes
• 37 km (23-mile crossing of Loch Ness in Scotland in 1976 in 10 hours 30 minutes
• 30 km (18.6-mile) Lake Como race in Italy in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1990
• 19.3 km (12-mile) Sydney Harbour Challenge Race in Australia in 1977 in 3 hours 20 minutes
• 77.2 km (48-mile) Lake Balaton race in Hungary in 1973 in 43 hours 15 minutes
• 69 km (43 miles) from Richmond to Gravesend in England in the River Thames in 1980 in 17 hours 25 minutes
• 40.2 km (25 miles) from Majorca to Minorca in the Spanish Balearic Islands in 15 hours 10 minutes
• 36 km Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli in Italy in 1974 in 12 hours 15 minutes
• 37 km (23-mile) Nile Marathon Race in Egypt in 11 hours 9 minutes
• 9.6 km (6-mile) Across the Sea of Galilee Swim in Israel
• 27 km (17 miles) three times: Skegness to Hunstanton in England in 13 hours 54 minutes in 1973 (misjudged the tides), 7 hours 47 minutes in 1976 to set the record and again to break the record that year in in 7 hours 10 minutes
• 43.7 km (21-mile) two-way of Lake Windermere in England
• 38.6 km (24-mile) Scottish ASA Championship in Loch Lomond in Scotland (where none of the other swimmers were able to finish)
• 42 km (26-mile) Marathon du Saguenay in Canada in 1988 in 7 hours 4 minutes
• On 24 April 2000, he crossed the 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar in 2000 from Cires Point, Tarifa, Spain to Punta Cires, Morocco in 5 hours 18 minutes at the age of 51
• 48.2 km (30 miles) across the Chicago Skyline Swim from Evanston, Illinois to Hammond, Indiana in 23 hours 31 minutes
• 24 km (15 miles) from Valentia to Couminole Beach in Dingle Bay in Ireland in 7 hours 45 minutes in 2007
• Won the 3 km Sognfjord Swim Festival Challenge Race in Norway 1 hour 32 minutes
• 27.5 km (17 miles) in the Aurlandsfjord, Norway in 10 hours 46 minutes
• 1.5 miles from Alcatraz Island to Aquatic Park, San Francisco
• 1 mile across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
• 40 km (25 miles) Santa Barbara Channel from the Santa Cruz Island to Santa Barbara, California in 17 hours 31 minutes
• 20.2 miles across the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in 15 hours 23 minutes in 2003 at the age of 54 to join the Half Century Club
• 15 hours 4 minutes across ]]Loch Lomond]] in 1967 and 12 hours 53 minutes in 1979
• double-crossing of Lake Windermere in 1979
• 45 km (28 miles) across the Bristol Channel in 1972 from North Devon to Porthcawl in 15 hours 8 minutes
• 46 km (24 miles) across Loch Ness in 1976 in 10 hours 40 minutes
• 33.7 km (21 miles) across Lake Tahoe between California and Nevada, USA in 2003 in 13 hours 56 minutes
• 45 km (28.5-mile) Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in New York in 2001 in 9 hours 2 minutes
• 17.7 km (11 miles) across Lake Mergozzo in Italy in 1989
• across Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa in 1973 in 3 hours 45 minutes
• double-crossing in Table Bay between Blouberg to Robben Island in 1973
• 22 km (13.6-mile) double-crossing of Table Bay in 1987 between Three Anchor Bay to Robben Island in 10 hours 38 minutes.
• 2 hour 7 minutes crossing across Table Bay in 1987 from Robben Island to Blouberg.
• 3-mile swim in Lake Bala in North Wales in 1963/
• 10.5-mile swim across Lake Windermere in 6 hours 29 minutes in 1974 and 6 hours 34 minutes in 1967
• 8-mile swim in Torbay (Torquay-Brixham-Torquay) in 3 hours 51 minutes in 1976 and 3 hours 57 minutes in 1979, 3 hours 37 minutes in 1971, 4 hours 41 minutes in 1972, 3 hours 40 minutes in 1976/
• 10 miles in the Weymouth-Lulworth Cove in 1976 in 4 hours 50 minutes.
• In 1971, he completed a 25.7 km crossing of the Bristol Channel of the UK from Glenthorne to Porthcawl in 15 hours 35 seconds.
• In September 1971, he completed a 90 km circumnavigation swim around the Isle of Wight in the UK in 26 hours 51 minutes.
• 7 miles from Walton to Clacton in 1972 and 1974
• 6 miles from Folkestone to Dover in 1972 in 1 hour 51 minutes
• Belfast Lough from Whitehead to Bangor in Northern Ireland in 1974
• from Gorey to Bouley Bay in Jersey in the Channel Islands in 1974 in 2 hours 52 minutes
• from Mumbles to Aberavon in South Wales in 1976 in 2 hours 55 minutes
• across Lake Windermere in 5 hours 55 minutes in 1979 and in 5 hours and 45 minutes in 2006
• two-way Solent between Ryde to Southsea in 3 hours 34 minutes
• 8-mile Solent Challenge 2000 from Yarmouth to Gurnard on the Isle of Wight in 2 hours 45 minutes.
• completed the North Channel three times in total, including the harder Ireland-to-Scotland route:
• On 1 September 1970, he completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 11 hours 21 minutes at the age of 21 to set a record that stood for 18 years with the water temperature between 8.8-13.3°C (48-56°F)
• On 29 August 1971, he completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 14 hours 27 minutes at the age of 22.
• On 7 September 1989, he completed a 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Scotland to Northern Ireland in 17 hours 17 minutes 48 seconds at the age of 40.

Santa Barbara Channel Half Century Club Members

• Jim McConica – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2008 (5:26 at age of 57) and 2012 (4:38 and 5:24 at age of 61)
• Emilio Casanueva – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2008 (7:45 at age of 68)
• Dave Van Mouwerik – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2010 (7:00 at age of 52)
• Lynn Kubasek – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2011 (7:08 at age of 53)
• Chris Palfrey – 6 miles (9.6 km) from Santa Rosa Island to Santa Cruz Island in 2008 (2:52 at age of 51)
• Kevin Murphy – 24.8 miles (29.9 km) across the Santa Cruz Channel in 2007 (17:31 at age of 58)
• Ashby Harper – 23.5 miles (37.8 km) across the Santa Cruz Channel in 1984 (16:24 at age of 66)
• Peter Urrea – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2007 (8:15 at age of 67)
• Chris Layton – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2011 (6:00 at age of 52)
• Michael Hird – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2012 (5:48 at age of 50)
• Tom Ball – 12.4 miles (19.9 km) across Anacapa Channel in 2012 (7:39 at age of 52)

Global Open Water Swimming Conference

Murphy spoke at the 2013 Global Open Water Swimming Conference, a conference hosted and organised by Oswald Schmidt, Paschal Horgan, Captain Tom McCarthy, Ciaran O’Connor, Finbarr Hedderman, and Ned Denison in Cork, Ireland. The other presenters include Professor Tom Doyle, Trevor Woods, Dr. Angel Yanagihara, Dr. Lunt & Dr. Adams, Fergal Somerville, Niek Kloots, Sally Minty-Gravett, and Wayne Soutter.