All-time Midmar Mile record holder Mike Pengelly finished his 52nd consecutive edition of the world’s largest open water swim last weekend.

The 78-year-old Salt Rock super swimmer crossed the line in about 52 minutes, give or take a few seconds, and has completed every single Midmar Mile since it was first held in 1974, aside from the cancelled 2021 edition.

Ballito’s Sven van der Linde was again the fastest North Coast finisher overall, taking sixth place in the men’s 14 to 30 race in a time of 19:20. This was an improvement of 41 seconds from his bronze medal time last year, largely motivated by better swimming conditions. It was tight at the top of the men’s standings and he was just 13 seconds off first.

There were dozens of other North Coast swimmers who made the trip to the midlands, some first timers and a few for whom the Midmar is an annual pilgrimage. Ballito’s Calvin Wynne is one such swimmer and he completed his tenth consecutive race since first crossing the line in 2015.

Elsewhere, Salt Rock’s Debbie Smeda finished the momentous 8-mile challenge in 6.26:29 to raise funds for the PinkDrive, a cancer foundation. Her swim was one of many by North Coasters that aimed to raise funds for good causes, including those who entered for Bloom Special Needs School and CHOC.

Find a full list of results at results.finishtime.co.za.

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