Over 500 Compete in Brooklyn Bridge Swim

Over 500 swimmers were on hand to participate in the seventh annual “Brooklyn Bridge Swim.” Organized by NYC Swim, the 1 kilometer race began in Brooklyn Bridge Park just underneath the Manhattan Bridge, and ended at East River Park in Manhattan, passing under the Brooklyn Bridge on the way.

The winners, Bruce Brockschmidt in the men’s division and Jill Hanass-Hancock in the women’s division, were able to navigate their way to the other side of the East River in 13 minutes and 9 seconds and 14 minutes and 59 seconds, respectively.

Brockschmidt is 45 years old and hails from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, while Hanass-Hancock is South African and is 39 years old.

NYC Swim promotes swimming in the great waterways of New York City, holding 11 different races over the course of the year. The races range in length from the 1 kilometer Brooklyn Bridge competition to the 28.5 kilometer Manhattan Island Relays, and Manhattan Island Swim.

Don’t let the short distance of the Brooklyn Bridge Swim race fool you into thinking the swim was easy. According to the organizers, because the swimmers could not take advantage of any upstream or downstream currents in the river, the swim is much more challenging than it looks.