New York Open Water (NYOW) has announced four dates in 2017 for its 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan.

Earlier this year, NYOW took over this event, which was formerly known as the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (MIMS) from New York City Swim and conducted three events for a total of 22 swimmers with a 100 percent success rate. The 28.5-mile circular swim took participants between just under seven hours to a little less than nine hours to complete in 2016. The swim forms part of the Triple Crown of marathon swimming along with the English Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The proposed dates are as follows:

• Saturday, June 24 to Monday, June 26
• Thursday, July 20 to Tuesday, July 25
• Friday, August 18 to Wednesday, August 23
• Thursday, September 7 to Friday, September 8

As with any solo marathon swim there are significant costs attached to cover the support boat, observer and kayak plus kayaker. The price ranges between $2500 and $2700 depending on the size and comfort of your boat. Swimmers may also provide up to two crew members to support them on the swim.

Entries will be allocated depending on a number of criteria including order received, preferred swim dates, field diversity and qualifying information (prospective participants are required to submit a swim résumé with details of swims greater than 10km, their swimming pace for a one-hour pool swim and their feeding plan).

There is also an option for a two-person relay.

Registration opens on 1 November 2016.

Find out more: https://www.nyopenwater.org/20-bridges-swim/