Records
Below is our list of Bristol Channel swim records, will your name be the next to be added?! In 2022 a number fo these were taken up by Guinness World Records, links to those records are shown below.
If you can help us add any missing historic swims or add etxra detail to any we do have, please please please get in touch!
First recorded crossing: Kathleen Thomas 5/9/1927
First reverse crossing: Edith Parnell 15/8/1929
Fastest recorded crossing: Gerald Forsberg 18/7/1964 [5hrs 40]
First crossing: Steve Price 28/9/1991
First reverse crossing: Steve Price 21/9/1992
First two way: Steve Price 22/9/1994
First Breast stroke: Philip Warren 21/9/2022
Fastest Crossing – Cynthia Aguilar 25/7/2023 [5hrs 9minutes 51seconds ]
First Crossing – Kevin Murphy 14/7/1971
First Reverse Crossing – Tom Chapman 19/6/2021
Fastest Crossing – Milko Van gool 13/9/2024 [8hrs 20]
First Crossing Geth Jones 13/9/2009
Fastest Sian Clement 23/7/2016 [14hrs 1min]
First Breast stroke Philip Warren 21/9/2022
20 hour club:
Lee Johnson [24-25/7/2023] 23 hours 21 minutes
Phil Warren [21/9/2022] 21hrs 47minutes
Geth Jones [13/9/2009] 21hours 39minutes
Sophie Smith [8-9-23] 21 hours 3 minutes
Swansea Ilfracombe was adopted as THE route for 'Fastest Bristol Channel Swim' by Guniness World Records, current holders are:
Sian Clement 14hrs 1 minute - GWR link
Fergal Somerville 15hrs 35minutes - GWR link
Most Bristol Channel Swims
Penarth/Weston 17/6/2021 (6hrs 17minutes, 21seconds)
Penarth/Clevedon 2/7/2021 (6hrs, 38mins, 53seconds)
Porthcawl/Glenthorne 16/9/2021 (11hrs, 57minutes, 0 seconds)
Penarth/Clevedon 7/7/2022 (7hrs, 4 minutes, 12seconds)
Porthcawl/Foreland Point 6/8/2022 (12hours, 7minutes, 31seconds)
Minehead to Lavernock 16/6/2023 (9 hours, 10 minutes, 39 seconds)
Guiness World Records adopted "most" as a record, link here
First By Nationality
Kathleen Thomas – British [1927]
Ted Keenan – Irish [1975]
Jane Luscombe –Jersey [1976]
Kamil Resa Alsaran – Turkey [2020]
Avram Iancu – Romania [2022]
Florence Chadwick – America [1957]
Cynthia Aguilar - Maxico [2023]
Dina Levacic - Croatia [2023]
Rocio Mora - Costa Rica [2023]
Andrew Keay - Australia [2023]
Oldest Female Bristol Channel Swimmer
Oldest Male Bristol Channel Swimmer
First Male Original triple crown – Kevin Murphy [1973]
First Female Original Triple Crown – Sian Clement [2022]
Fastest Aggregate Male OTC – Milko Van Gool EC 10:29:05 27-7-2011 NC 10:34:00 30-7-2013 BC [Glenthorne - porthcawl] 13/9/23 8:20:38 GWR!
Fastest Aggregate Female OTC – Sian Clement EC 1/7/2009 12:48 NC 10/7/2022 12:45 BC Swansea Ilfracombe 23/7/2016 14:01 GWR!
Oldest Female Original triple crown Pat Gallant Charette [71years 228 days] GWR!
Oldest Male Triple crown Fergal Somerville [59 years 46 days] GWR!
