NYC SWIM

Events » Aquathlon: Stars & Stripes

Liberty Island Swim

First there was the Manhattan Island Swim, then came the Governors Island Swim. NYC Swim Events and the Manhattan Island Foundation now present the Liberty Island Swim — a 1.2-kilometer counterclockwise swim around Liberty Island, the home of the Statue of Liberty. It's a great way to start a Friday morning in the summer — and you'll still have time to go to work in the afternoon and amaze your co-workers with tales about what you just did!

Participation in this inaugural event is limited to swimmers who have finished in the top 60% of a NYC Swim event in the past two years. Please see our FAQ page for more information.

Guest enrollment is open until Thursday, June 25, at noon. Please consult the Liberty Island Swim Policies page for details.

Enroll as a SwimmerEnroll as a Volunteer
Date:06/26/2009 
Distance:1.2 km 
Check In Time:5:05 AM - Battery Park, Gangway Five. Photo ID is required. 
Start Time:7:15 AM 
Start Location:Liberty Island, Main Dock 
Finish Location:Pontoon Boat on the New Jersey side of the Main dock at Liberty Island 
Field Size:180 entries (0 Enrolled - Enrollment Closed) 
Awards:Commemorative medals will presented to all participants, and there will be awards for the top 10 male and female finishers. 
Fees:$115 February 19, 2009 (1:00PM)
$125 February 20 - April 30, 2009
$135 May 1 - May 31, 2009
$150 June 1 - June 22, 2009
$165 June 23 - June 24, 2009
Entries open on February 19, 2009
and close (unless full prior) on June 24, 2009 at 8:00 AM.
Fees are inclusive of the cost of the ferry to and from the Island for the participant and up to two guests. (Please consult the Liberty Island Swim Policies page for guest enrollment.) 
Directions to Start:Important Instructions
The special Statue Cruises ferry to Liberty Island departs from Battery Park, Gangway 5 (near Castle Clinton). Only approved swimmers and their guests will be allowed on the ferry. (Instructions on how to register guests are now available.)


By Car:
Take FDR Drive South, Exit 1 South Ferry Battery Park from East Side or Westside Highway South (9A) until it dead ends from West Side. (Due to limited parking, we suggest that you use mass transit to get to and from Battery Park.)

By Subway:
Local 1 to South Ferry, or Express 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, or R/W to Whitehall Street Station.

By Bus:
M15 (East Side) to South Ferry or M6 (West Side) from 57th Street.

Please allow ample time to arrive at race check-in/start - if you miss this ferry, you will miss the race. Note that disruptions to subway service are possible. Check www.mta.info for service advisories that may affect your trip.  
Directions to Finish:Return ferries to Manhattan start at 8:55 AM. The approximate travel time to Manhattan is 35 minutes, because the ferry first stops on Ellis Island. Please visit the Statue Cruises website for the full schedule. 
Time Limit:45 minutes 
Age Requirement:15 years and over (younger swimmers may be accepted based on swimming experience).  
Experience Requirement:Safety concerns require us to ensure that every participant in a NYC Swim swim event has adequate swim experience; thus we have set certain qualifying standards for participation in each of our events. The experience requirement for participating in the Liberty Island Swim is as follows:

Finish in the top 60% of any NYC Swim open water swim or Aquathlon since January 1, 2007
--- or ---
Finish in the top 20% of any DOCUMENTED timed open water swim race of 1 mile or more since January 1, 2007 [How to upload your results]
--- or ---
Finish in the top 10% OVERALL of any DOCUMENTED Triathlon with a timed 1-mile or longer open water swim since January 1, 2007 least a mile swim. [How to upload your results]


Swimmers wishing to enter based on Non-NYC Swim race results must follow the directions in the "Application Process" section. All qualifying swim information must be received by NYC Swim no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on June 23. Participants' qualifications will not be accepted, reviewed or approved on race day.  
Predicted Water Conditions:Approximately 69-70 degrees. Wetsuits/non-traditional swim attire may be worn but will affect a swimmer's eligibility for awards. The full wetsuit policy can be viewed here.

There can be a substantial amount of chop in the water from wind & tide action. The waterways are salt-water and there is shipping traffic. There may be random jetsam & flotsam in the waterways. For additional information on swimming and water quality in the Hudson River, please see our FAQ page. 
Previous Year's Water Temp:69.98 (on 06/26/2008)
68.00 (on 06/26/2007)
65.66 (on 06/26/2006)
68.54 (on 06/26/2005)
Not Available (on 06/26/2004)