race pace question

I am hoping to do my first open water swim this summer, its a one mile swim. I was looking at the past results of the event online and I am confused by some of the times. The winning time was 15:30, that is moving pretty good. However there was a 67 year old man who finished it in just over 20 minutes (kudos to him). And 75% of the people who swam it did it under 25 minutes and this includes a lot of 50-60 year olds. Is it possible the course really isnt a mile? Or do I need to ramp up my training? many an open water are far shorter, or far longer, than advertised... sometimes problematic but typically simply an idiosyncracy or character of the race itself. winds, current, air and water temperature conspire both with and against us in any given open water event. loop courses set wrong quckly magnify their errors. i do imagine your particular course was short but any of a number of parameters might have benefitted swimmers.

I am hoping to do my first open water swim this summer, its a one mile swim. I was looking at the past results of the event online and I am confused by some of the times. The winning time was 15:30, that is moving pretty good. However there was a 67 year old man who finished it in just over 20 minutes (kudos to him). And 75% of the people who swam it did it under 25 minutes and this includes a lot of 50-60 year olds. Is it possible the course really isnt a mile? Or do I need to ramp up my training? many an open water are far shorter, or far longer, than advertised... sometimes problematic but typically simply an idiosyncracy or character of the race itself. winds, current, air and water temperature conspire both with and against us in any given open water event. loop courses set wrong quckly magnify their errors. i do imagine your particular course was short but any of a number of parameters might have benefitted swimmers.