A total of 146 people swam from Reykjavík to Kópavogur and back yesterday, setting a new record in ocean swimming. Never before have so many people swum in the Icelandic ocean at the same time.
Ocean swimming in Iceland. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.
“The ocean was smooth as a mirror and warm,” Heimir Örn Sveinsson, the main organizer of the event, told Morgunbladid. The event was backed by the Icelandic Swimming Association and Lyfja pharmacies.
Participants swam from Nauthólsvík thermal beach in Reykjavík, across the Fossvogur inlet to Kópavogur and back, which is approximately one kilometer. People of all ages participated in the initiative—the oldest participant was 73.
Sveinsson said the record participation reflects the growing interest in ocean swimming and the fact that it is a sport for everyone.
Click here to read more about ocean swimming in Iceland.
