POUGHKEEPSIE – Over 100 swimmers took to the Hudson River’s 60-degree water on Saturday to compete in the annual “2 Bridges” race sponsored by New York Open Water.
Two races were held simultaneously – a 2.5 km and 5 km race – both stretching from the Walkway Over the Hudson to the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Racers were briefed at Waryas Park prior to the start by Race Director David Barra.
He explained the course which involved entering the river at the Poughkeepsie boat launch, swimming south around the easternmost stanchion of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, then north, around the easternmost stanchion of the Walkway bridge. Upon completing that loop, swimmers in the 2.5k race swam back to the boat ramp to the finish line.
Swimmers in the 5k race had to complete the loop a second time. Scoring was done electronically with microchips worn by the competitors. The chip enabled the scoring booth to accurately note when the competitor crossed the start and finish lines.
For safety purposes, New York Open Water had personnel using boats, jet skis, and kayaks to help swimmers in the event they became distressed. Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office boats Enforcer I and Enforcer II were positioned at both ends of the course to divert boat traffic away from the swimmers.
Barra said that this past weekend’s event was the 8th annual race between the spans and is a precursor to the “8 Bridges” race which takes place starting on June 8th and ends on the 15th. That event starts at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Columbia County and ends at the Verrazano Bridge in New York City.
Many competitors use these two events as a training swim for larger endeavors such as triathlons and attempting to swim across the English Channel.
Burt Gwilliam from the Washington DC area was competing in the 5k swim and plans to swim across the English Channel next year. He finished the 5k in 1:48:54. He was greeted at the finish line by his wife and child. “This is the first time I’ve done a distance swim with currents as strong as this,” said Gwilliam. The Hudson is known for its powerful and multi-directional currents that can be a challenge for even the most experienced swimmers.
