Who Has Crossed The Sea of Galilee?

Steven Munatones 04/25/2022 open water swimming No Comment

The Sea of Galilee is 210 meters below sea level, the lowest freshwater lake on Earth.

Under the governance of the Galilee Marathon Swimming Association, dozens of open water swimmers from around the world are now giving 20.5 km lengthwise (north-to-south and south-to-north) and 9.5 km widthwise courses a try.

American Matthew Moseley from Colorado made the latest successful 20.5 km crossing. swam 20.5 km across the Kinneret in 7 hours 24 minutes. He swam Matt Moseley from the north starting at Capernaum to the south shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was the 6th American swimmer and 58th overall crossing to complete the full length swim of the lake. “It was amazing, amazing water. It was so beautiful, starting with the moon [in the early morning hours], then the sunrise, so beautiful.. what an experience. Really, remarkable,” he said.

His escort team included Gad Reich, GMSA observer Anat Jonish, and escort pilot Stas Schupeck.

The Association was co-founded by Guy Cohen and Eyal Schachner in January 2020, with Lior Eliyahu as the supporting escort pilot and Avishag Turek, Alon Korek, Yaron Davidi, Fabrice Beer-Gabel, Gad Baruch, Oded Rahav, and Amit Potashnik.

Lengthwise Crossings of the Sea of Galilee

October 1944 by Yitzhak Yehezkel (Israel) from south to north in 9 hours 39 minutes 44 seconds
August 1953 by Yitzhak Yehezkel (Israel) from north to south in 10 hours 18 minutes 20 seconds
September 1953 by Yehuda Shevek (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 18 minutes 30 seconds
October 1953 by Oded Paz (Israel) from north to south in 7 hours 23 minutes 0 seconds
October 1954 by Malka Tenenbaum (Israel) from north to south in 9 hours 20 minutes 40 seconds
October 1954 by Edna Borenstein (Israel) from north to south in 9 hours 40 minutes
October 1955 by Yitzhak Yehezkel (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 33 minutes 25 seconds
October 1964 by Mary Margaret Revell (USA) from north to south in 9 hours 39 minutes 10 seconds
July 2006 by Tal Snunit (Israel) from north to south in 7 hours 15 minutes
July 2006 by Adi Parag (Israel) from north to south in 7 hours 15 minutes
July 2006 by Ram Barkai (South Africa) from north to south in 7 hours 15 minutes
September 2009 by Bill Welzien (USA) from north to south in 10 hours 25 minutes
December 2013 by Hadar Aviram (USA) from north to south in 9 hours 30 minutes
May 2014 by Yaron Davidi (Israel) from north to south in 8 hours 30 minutes
May 2014 by Elad Benyamin (Israel) from north to south in 8 hours 30 minutes
September 2014 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south in 8 hours 2 minutes
September 2014 by Theodore Yach (South Africa) from north to south in 8 hours 2 minutes
May 2015 by Yigal Sela (Israel) from north to south in 10 hours 15 minutes
December 2016 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 7 hours 50 minutes
December 2016 by Stuart Hacker (UK) from south to north in 7 hours 55 minutes
December 2016 by Yaron Davidi (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 23 minutes
December 2016 by Idit Ron (Israel) from south to north in 9 hours 17 minutes
December 2016 by Gad Benjamin (Israel) from south to north in 9 hours 31 minutes
February 2017 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 50 minutes
June 2017 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 15 minutes
June 2017 by Guy Cohen (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 15 minutes
April 2018 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 7 hours 2 minutes
April 2018 by Guy Cohen (Israel) from south to north in 7 hours 2 minutes
April 2018 by Stuart Hacker (UK) from south to north in 7 hours 7 minutes
April 2018 by Mickey Helps (UK) from south to north in 7 hours 7 minutes
April 2018 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 46 minutes
June 2018 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 47 minutes
June 2018 by Fabrice Beer-Gabel (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 47 minutes
March 2019 by Guy Cohen (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 40 minutes
March 2019 by Eyal Schachner (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 40 minutes
March 2019 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 5 hours 50 minutes
October 2019 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from north-south-north in 14 hours 54 minutes (two-way)

Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south in 7 hours 31 minutes 0 seconds (1st leg)
Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 7 hours 23 minutes 0 seconds (2nd leg)

40. November 2019 by Joe Zemaitis (USA) from south-north-south in 14 hours 52 minutes (two-way)

Joe Zemaitis from south to north in 7 hours 9 minutes (1st leg)
Joe Zemaitis from north to south in 7 hours 43 minutes (2nd leg)

41. November 2019 by John Zemaitis (USA) from south-north-south in 14 hours 52 minutes (two-way)

John Zemaitis from south to north in 7 hours 9 minutes (1st leg)
John Zemaitis from north to south in 7 hours 43 minutes (2nd leg)

42. May 2020 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south in 6 hours 19 minutes 15 seconds
43. October 2020 by Debbie Sacks Chitiz (Israel) from north to south in 8 hours 12 minutes
44. October 2020 by Amit Renan (Israel) from north to south in 10 hours 47 minutes
45. November 2020 by Michael Hassoun (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 7 minutes
46. November 2020 by Yaron Rosenbaum (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 7 minutes
47. November 2020 by Gad Benjamin (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 58 minutes
48. November 2020 by Einat Or (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 58 minutes
49. November 2020 by Tzvi Golzman (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 58 minutes
50. November 2020 by Einat Or (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 58 minutes
51. November 2020 by Eyal Zeldin (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 58 minutes
52. March 2021 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south in 5 hours 53 minutes 38 seconds
53. April 2021 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south to north in 15 hours 25 minutes (two way)

Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 7 hours 4 minutes (1st leg)
Avishag Turek (Israel) from north to south in 8 hours 21 minutes (2nd leg)

54. April 2021 by Yaron Davidi (Israel) from south to north in 9 hours 30 minutes
55. April 2021 by Dan Davidi (Israel) from south to north in 9 hours 30 minutes
56. May 2021 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 5 hours 34 minutes
56. October 2021 by Yael Friedland (Israel) from south to north in 8 hours 31 minutes
57. October 2021 by Avishag Turek (Israel) from south to north in 6 hours 6 minutes
58. April 2022 by Matthew Moseley (USA) from north to south in 7 hours 24 minutes

For information about the Galilee Marathon Swimming Association, visit here.

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Steven Munatones

Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.

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