On May 30 the Alcatraz Challenge 1.5 mile swim will start at Alcatraz and finish at East Beach on Crissy Field in San Francisco. Swimmers will arrive by ferry at 7:30 A.M.
Unlike the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon race, which starts on the island, the Alcatraz Challenge starts from the ferry as it's anchored 100 yards of the southern shoreline of Alcatraz. 600 competitors will dive off the boat in about 6 minutes, which alone has to be a pretty amazing sight.
This reduces the disturbance to nesting birds and other wildlife and, well, it makes the swim 100 yards shorter. In 54-degree water temperatures and currents as strong as 4 knots (enough to take you under the Golden Gate Bridge in an hour if you just tread water), that 100 yards probably feels like a good thing.
Navigation for the swimmers is something like playing badminton on a windy day. The competitors website shows maps of the currents and some of the different routes swimmers have used for the crossing. The tracks look like an old Spirograph drawing, twisting everywhere.
Since the race starts from the ferry, Crissy Field is probably the best point to watch from, and that's the location for the finish line.
Copyright (c) 2010, OurAlcatraz.com. All Rights Reserved.
Comments