Clements Endurance Swims, Race 1, 2019-2020, The Opening Splash

Conditions were absolutely perfect, with flat seas, a slightly hazy sky and no current. Alec Swan set a cracking pace along the shoreline, swimming alone for the whole race, while Luke Kelly led a bunch a bit further out. When they converged at the final mark, Alec  had a clear lead and went on to lead Luke in,  breaking the race record, which Marlborough swimmer Jono Lee had held for nine years. Luke, Fergus Drummond, and Oxford Bayley also broke the race record. Abbey Smale managed to lose  Sierra Thomas over the last stretch, with both cracking Sierra’s women’s record from last year by nearly three minutes. Both leading women swam faster than the previous overall race record, meaning six swimmers broke the 2010 record, while Hayden Squance, finishing 7th was just two seconds outside the old record.

Results click here

Photos by Pete Marshall, click here

Here’s the best times over the past 12 years, Click here

Here’s a story on Sportzhub: click here