Channel Swim trivia

The Rottnest Channel Swim is a complex event of international proportions. The Committee is aware it faces the crucial challenge of maintaining the high level of community participation while ensuring the safety of every person involved - and this means thousands of people.

There is also increasing interest in the event by elite swimmers and the Rottnest Channel Swim now has a truly international profile. This is to be encouraged but not to the detriment of local participants and amateur participants from all around Australia.

To give you some idea of the enormous logistics involved in the day, here is a 'snapshot' of the statistics that represent the months of planning and organising that support your swim to Rottnest Island.

The Event

• 19.7km ocean swim from Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island
• Categories of entrant: solo, duos (teams of 2) and teams (teams of 4)
• One of the largest open water swim in the world. (Victoria's Pier to Pub, a 1.6km open water swim has more competitors but it is conducted in a bay and not through open water)
• It is Rottnest Island's largest crowd of the year, with over 10,000 spectators, supporters and competitors on the Island
• Over 180 kegs of beer are consumed
• More than 800 support craft are involved including Fremantle and Whitfords Sea Rescue Groups, the Department of Transport - Marine, Water Police and Rottnest Island Authority Rangers
• Over 100 volunteers and staff assist on the beaches and the water to ensure everyone is accounted for at the end of the day
• 64 marker buoys plus float lines are placed in the water

Entrants in the race for the last 5 years

• 2001 - 2,022 participated
• 2002 - 2,035 participated
• 2003 - 2,048 participated, although only 43% of competitors finished due to the unfavourable weather conditions
• 2004 - 2,303 participated
• 2005 - 2,382 participated - 119 teams on the wait list
• 2006 - 3,910 entered, 2,300 participated and 1,769 finished
• 2008 - 2,056 entered, 1,868 participated and 1,811 finished

Apparel Requirements

• 2,800 caps were ordered
• 4,001 people can be seen wearing the official Rottnest Channel Swim T-shirts

Participant profile

• Youngest solo swimmer - 13.79 years of age
• Oldest solo swimmer - 72.99 years of age
• Average age of participants - 41 years of age
• 36.5% female competitors and 63.5% male competitors

To get there first

If you want to come ashore alongside Mark Saliba, record holder of the solo event, then you will need to swim:

• 20km in 4 hours OR
• 5km per hour OR
• 1km every 12 minutes OR
• 100 metres every 1 minute and 12 seconds