For Immediate Release

Swimmers Battle Epic Conditions at Whiskey Joe's 12th Annual 24 Mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim

TAMPA BAY, FL-- Fourty-eight swimmers fought through 3-4 foot swells as they headed north to the finish line at Whiskey Joe's today at one of the world's most grueling open water swim races. The 24 mile ultra-distance race started at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and ended at Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill on the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa in a race that covers the entire length of Tampa Bay. The event is held each year to celebrate Earth Day and the revitalization of Florida's largest estuary.

Here are the official results for the 11 solo swimmers, and the 11 relay competitors in the event:

SOLO SWIMMERS

10 hours, 14 minutes - Ramses Rodriguez, 37M Port St. Lucie, FL
10 hours, 22 minutes - Boris Fernandez, 35M, Key Biscayne, FL
11 hours, 7 minutes - Gilles Chalandon, 52M, New York, NY
12 hours, 7 minutes - John Muenzer, 47M, Elgin, IL
12 hours, 36 minutes - Michael Tschantz-Hahn, 41M, Chicago, IL
12 hours, 38 minutes - LaurieJo Hall, 32F, Marietta, OH
13 hours, 18 minutes - Yesenia Cabrera Fuegos, 36F, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Swimmers forced to withdraw due to seasickness after turning north around Pinellas Point:

Giaconia Mauro, 37M, Palermo, Italy
Flavia Zappa, 42F, Bradenton, FL
Mike Embry, 61M, Tampa, FL
Rondi Davies, 38F, New York, NY

RELAY TEAMS

8 hours, 57 minutes - DF3 - Polly Surhoff, 44F, Cockeysville, MD; Andy Cosgarea, 48M, Owings Mills, MD; Rob Long, 48M, Huntersville, NC

9 hours, 12 minutes - TBD - Kathryn Kirmayer, 45F, Silver Spring, MD; Melissa Kirmayer, 42F, Seattle, WA; Laura Kirmayer, 39F, Sunnyside, NY; William Grant Johnston, 36M, Washington, DC; Matt McShane, 45M, Olney, MD; Tommy Kaufman, 28M, North Bethesda, MD

9 hours, 30 minutes - PIRATE BOOTY NBAC - Lisa Rapuano, 43F, Towson, MD; Scott Breza 38M, Phoenix MD; Gil Mandel, 42M, Pikesville, MD; Tobi Limke, 34F, Lowell, MA; Suzanne Kirincic, 40F, Lutherville, MD; Wendy Quitasol, 46F, Towson, MD

9 hours, 58 minutes - HARPS (Hopefully Approaching Retirement Pretty Soon) - Robert Aldrich, 60M, St. Petersburg, FL; Pat Marzulli, 60M, Indian Rocks Beach, FL; Cyle Sage, 44M, Tampa, FL; Carl Selles, 62M, St. Petersburg, FL

10 hours, 21 minutes - TAMPA BAY AQUATIC CLUB - Tom Rawls, 41M, Tampa, FL; Bart Cobb, 54M, Tampa, FL; Jeff Feldman, 37M, Tampa, FL

10 hours, 48 minutes - THE J SQUAD - Jana Rempalski, 26F, Austin, TX; Jen Baker, 32F, Falls Church, VA; Julie Oplinger, 32F, Arlington, VA

11 hours, 24 minutes - FIRST AMERICA BANK - Tim Kennedy, 52M, St. Petersburg, FL; Jeffrey Logsdon, 38M, Bradenton, FL; Keith Nelson, 44M, Treasure Island, FL

11 hours, 46 minutes - ALTERNATE IMMERSION - Terry Laughlin, 58M, New Paltz, NY; Rachel Golub, 32F, Astoria, NY; William Miller, 44M, Marlboro, NY

11 hours, 47 minutes - DOS CONQUISTADORES - Jonathan Farber, 42M, Brooklyn, NY; Cristian Vergara, 50M, Brooklyn, NY

12 hours, 42 minutes - CONEY ISLAND WHITEFISH - David Barra, 44M, High Falls, NY; Patricia Sener, 45F, Brooklyn, NY

13 hours, 25 minutes - TEAM AMERICA - Willy Blumenthals, 36M, North Bergen, NJ; Amy Wu, 33F, New York, NY

Since this event was first staged in 1998, it has drawn competitors from across the United States, Great Britain, Guatemala, Italy, Australia, Dominican Republic, Germany, India, Canada, and the Cayman Islands.

For directions & info about Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill, go to www.WhiskeyJoesTampa.com.

For complete marathon swim race info, go to www.DistanceMatters.com.

SOURCE: Distance Matters, Inc.