Little Red Lighthouse Swim

franco, i hope you have received the info but if not: i would still walk to the start.... its about 1.5 miles from where you are staying. see you there. Dear Swimmer, We have some late-breaking changes to this weekend's Little Red Lighthouse Swim. Instead of running the event from Clinton Cove (56th Street) to finish south of the lighthouse in Fort Washington Park (172nd Street), we've just received approval to start at the 79th Street Boat Basin and finish at Inwood Canoe Club, just south of Dyckman Fields. The new swim course will make this a true 10K swim, going right past the lighthouse and under the George Washington Bridge, and a slightly later start is expected to take advantage of better tides to give participants a good push all the way to the finish. The new course has some important implications for you: The swim will start at 7:45 AM — 30 minutes later than originally planned. If you're not a morning person, rejoice in the few minutes of extra sleep that this gives you! Spectators will be able to get within view of the finish, but not right down to the water, as the dock area is small and not able to support a large influx of people. We could still use a few water-exit volunteers, so please encourage your friends to enroll if they are able to help out. We are also seeking post-event hospitality help. These are new start and finish sites for us, so we are asking for your patience as we work out the logistics this year. If the race is a success, the Little Red Lighthouse Swim will give way to the George Washington Bridge Swim in the future. Please read the information below carefully as it contains important event-specific instructions. Check-in for the event will be located at the 79th Street Boat Basin from 6:10 AM to 7:10 AM. Photo ID is required. Water temperatures are currently hovering just above 68°F, and the predicted warmer weather could make swimmers wearing wetsuits/non-traditional swim attire ineligible for awards. A determination will be made on Friday morning and posted on our home page. Thank you for joining us and supporting our mission. See you on Saturday! The NYC Swim Events Team Little Red Lighthouse Swim Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010 Water Temperature: Approximately 68-69° F. Swimmers in wetsuits/non-traditional swim attire may not be eligible for awards. Please check our home page on Friday for final determination. Check-In: 6:10 to 7:10 AM - 79th Street Boat Basin. Photo ID is required. Pre-race Briefing: 7:15 AM - 79th Street Boat Basin Baggage Check Closes: 7:25 AM - 79th Street Boat Basin Swim Start: 7:45 AM - 79th Street Boat Basin (wave 1 of 7) Race Course Participants will enter the water at the 79th Street, Riverside Park in Hudson River Park, in seven separate waves, with the faster swimmers starting later. The wave assignments have been posted on the Little Red Lighthouse Swimmers tab. Please review your assignment; if you have concerns, email them to us at info@nycswim.org no later than 8:30 AM on Friday. Swimmers will initially proceed in a slight northwesterly direction to clear boats moored. Swimmers should maintain this distance from shore (approximately 1/4 Mile) as they continue north in order to avoid being swept into the water treatment plant located at Riverbank State Park (135th - 145th Street). Swimmers will pass under the George Washington Bridge and will follow the race marks for another 1.3 miles before turning into the boathouse's dock. A map of the course can be found on the Little Red Lighthouse web page. Swimmers must achieve the following landmarks by the prescribed cut-off times in order to continue on to the finish of the race: Grant’s Tomb 1 hour 25 minutes Riverbank State Park (North Side) 1 hour 45 minutes 158th Street Henry Hudson Parkway exit 2 hours 20 minutes GWB 2 hours 40 minutes Enrollment Status Please check the Status and Notes columns on the registered swimmers page for your enrollment status. If your status is "Submitted," () we have not received sufficient information to approve your participation in this swim. Please see the Notes column for additional information and review the "Experience Requirement" section on the Little Red Lighthouse Swim web page for detailed information on the qualifying standards for this event. You have until 8:30 PM EDT on Thursday, September 23, 2010 to submit your qualifications for this event. If we do not receive your information by this date, we will be unable to allow you to participate in the Little Red Lighthouse Swim. Results from non-NYC Swim qualifying swims can be uploaded to your user profile. If you wish to qualify through a pool swim, you must document the completion of a continuous 3-mile (4950 yards/4500 meters) pool swim in 2 hours and 15 minutes or better since January 1, 2010. The swim must take place in a traditional swimming pool; "Endless Pool" swims are not acceptable for qualification purposes. The pool certificate template can be found here. Once you have completed your qualifying pool swim, you can upload your pool certificate or fax it to 212-784-6850. Please e-mail info@nycswim.org if you have any questions about your status. Check-In Check-in will open at 6:10 AM and close promptly at 7:10 AM at the 79th Street Boat Basin. Please be on time as we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals. Photo ID is required. Event Gear Transport At swimmer check-in, you may also check a bag of personal belongings to be transported to race finish for you. You should bring an inexpensive bag for your belongings and leave your valuables at home. NYC Swim is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Swim Attire and Wetsuit Policy Swim Attire and Wetsuit Policy for the Swim Series When the water temperature is 68°F (20°C) or higher, only swimmers wearing traditional-style swim suits and accessories will be eligible for awards. A determination of eligibility for this race will be made on Friday morning and posted on the NYC Swim home page. Traditional Swim Costume, Headgear and Accessories A traditional-style swim suit is one that is made of a porous material, is sleeveless, and is legless. Women may wear suits that come up to their necks, with the zipper up the back. Men may not wear jammers (since they are not legless) or suits that cover their torsos. Any suit that extends to the thighs or shoulders, reduces drag in the water, increases buoyancy, or improves heat-retention is considered non-traditional. Suits in the non-traditional category (which means they affect award eligibility) include jammers of any type; Speedo LZR Racer, Speedo Aquablade, Speedo FS II, Speedo Fastskin, TYR Aqua Shift, TYR Aquapel, TYR Fusion2, Nike Liftsuit, blue seventy zeropoint3, and suits with similar materials. Caps shall be defined as headgear conforming to traditional swim cap design and not extending to protect the neck or shoulders. Neoprene accessories such as caps and socks are also classified as non-traditional items. Withdrawal Policy NYC Swim incurs nearly all race expenses before race day. For that reason, we are not able to reimburse registered swimmers who wish to withdraw from an event. (See Race Cancellation Policy). No entrant may sell, trade or otherwise allow another person to use an entry. Such substitutions jeopardize our insurance and our ability to secure the permits necessary to produce future events. Anyone found to be participating under another person's entry will be disqualified from the event, and both the participant and the original registrant will be barred from all future NYC Swim events. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, information will be available on our home page. As per our policy, if the event is canceled in advance and cannot be rescheduled, all registered applicants will receive a 50% credit towards any NYC Swim swim race in the current or next following season, with the exception of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim and the Ederle Swim. If an event has to be canceled or halted while swimmers and race staff are on site, the above advance cancellation policy does not apply. Instead, race souvenirs will be distributed to all swimmers and volunteers who are present. FAQs and Other Policies Please review our event policies and FAQs for additional information. Goody Bag/T-shirt Pick-up Goody bags and race t-shirts can be picked up after the race. If you will not be able to get them yourself, please ask a friend to pick them up for you. We do not mail out goody bags or T-shirts after the event. Award Distribution Given the limited space at the finish of this event and the need to keep the area clear for emergency vehicles, it is possible that we will not be able to have our usual on-site awards ceremony. If this is the case, all awards will be distributed to winners at a later date. Event Craziness As with any event in a new venue, please expect some inefficiencies/snafus and plan accordingly. Open water events are complex and not fully predictable, but we do try to make things work as best we can. If you have an issue, please do not be shy and raise your concerns. Directions To the Race Check-in/Start By Subway: Take the 2 to 72nd Street and Broadway. Walk north on Broadway to 79th Street then follow "On Foot" directions below. Or take the B/C train to 81 Street and Central Park West; walk south to 79 Street then follow "On Foot" directions below. By Bus: M5 to 79th Street and Riverside Drive or M79 cross-town to 79th Street and Riverside Drive. Follow "On Foot" directions below. On Foot: Walk west (toward the Hudson River) on 79th Street and cross Riverside Drive. Walk under the green highway overpass bridge and take the staircase down towards the waterfront. Please allow ample time to arrive at race check-in/start. Note that weekend disruptions to subway service are possible. Check the MTA website for service advisories that may affect your trip. To the Race Finish A perk of the new course is that the finish area is much closer to the street grid and the subway than the previous finish location in Fort Washington Park. By Subway: Take the A train to Dyckman Street. Exit the station and walk west to the end of Dyckman Street. To the left is a gate leading to a gravel road open to foot traffic only. A short distance down the road (approximately 1 block) is the Inwood Canoe Club, where swimmers will exit the water. By Bicycle: The finish area is not along the riverfront greenway/bike path, but that path can get you most of the way there. If you are coming from the south, you can take the path up the hill by the Little Red Lighthouse and continue alongside Henry Hudson Drive until the end of the path, at a short flight of stairs leading down to Riverside Drive. From there, turn left to continue downhill on Staff Street one block to Dyckman Street, and then go left again to the end of Dyckman Street. Spectators will not be able to enter the boathouse but can walk down the gravel road to see the finish area. They can also meet you near the post-race hospitality tents and baggage claim which will be located at the end of Dyckman Street or possibly in Dyckman Fields, on the right side of the street as you face the Hudson.

Thanks Dave. I'll see you there.

Franco & dave - good luck and good fun! Franco - keep us posted on the tennessee River swim too!

I wish I hadn't had to cancel, but I'm glad I addressed my knee in August instead of waiting for October. I am going to try to get into Ederle next year and if I don't get in I'll swim LRL. Have fun you guys.

it was a great day for a swim! Little red lighthouse - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums