Thousands of athletes have challenged themselves to cross channels around the world: English Channel, Catalina Channel, Molokai Channel, Tsugaru Channel, North Channel, Cook Strait, Strait of Gibraltar.

But 37 times, an intrepid endurance athlete has chosen to swim the English Channel twice in a row.

A two-way.

A double crossing.

There and back.

1. Antonio Abertondo (first, longest time) in 1961: 43 hours 10 minutes
2. Ted Erikson in 1965: 30 hours 3 minutes
3. Kevin Murphy in 1970: 35 hours 10 minutes
4. Jon Erikson in 1975: 29 hours 50 minutes
5. Kevin Murphy in 1975: 36 hours 3 minutes
6. Cynthia Nicholas in 1977: 19 hours 55 minutes
7. Cynthia Nicholas in 1979: 19 hours 12 minutes
8. Jon Erikson in 1979: 22 hours 16 minutes
9. Cynthia Nicholas in 1981: 22 hours 21 minutes
10. Jon Erikson in 1981: 25 hours 13 minutes (en route to a 3-way of 38:27)
11. Cynthia Nicholas in 1982: 18 hours 55 minutes
12. Cynthia Nicholas in 1982: 20 hours 9 minutes (16 days after her 18:55 2-way)
13. Alison Streeter in 1983: 21 hours 16 minutes
14. Irene van der Laan in 1983: 18 hours 15 minutes
15. Osama Ahmed Momtaz in 1984: 21 hours 37 minutes
16. Philip Rush in 1985: 17 hours 56 minutes (negative split: 9:03 + 8:53)
17. Philip Rush in 1987: 16 hours 10 minutes (en route to a 3-way of 28:21)
18. Kevin Murphy in 1987: 32 hours 42 minutes
19. Alison Streeter in 1990: 21 hours 11 minutes (en route to a 3-way of 34:40)
20. Susie Maroney in 1991: 17 hours 14 minutes
21. Alison Streeter in 1992: 22 hours 20 minutes
22. Paula Townley-Rivett in 1993: 22 hours 11 minutes
23. Nora Toledano Cadena in 1994: 23 hours 38 minutes
24. Alison Streeter in 1995: 20 hours 55 minutes
25. Nick Adams in 1995: 27 hours 28 minutes
26. Igor de Souza in 1997: 18 hours 33 minutes (negative split: 9:31 + 9:02)
27. Marcy MacDonald in 2011: 21 hours 19 minutes
28. David Parcells in 2002: 21 hours 30 minutes
29. Anne Cleveland in 2004: 28 hours 36 minutes
30. Marcy MacDonald in 2004: 23 hours 0 minutes
31. David Cech in 2006: 19 hours 54 minutes
32. Liane Llewellyn in 2009: 27 hours 35 minutes
33. Lisa Cummins in 2009: 35 hours 0 minutes
34. Chloë McCardel in 2010: 21 hours 48 minutes
35. John van Wisse in 2010: 19 hours 55 minutes
36. Elizabeth Fry in 2011: 24 hours 41 minutes (negative split: 13:20 + 11:20)
37. Stuart Johnson in 2011: 25 hours 50 minutes (negative split: 13:28 + 12:22)

Data from the Julian Critchlow English Channel Swimmers Database.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source