Swimming Manhattan

I just read an article this morning about a different kind of marathon - a 28.5 mile swim around the island of Manhattan.
For the average swimmer, it takes 9 hours. Amazing.
Here's an excerpt from the story:

When the marathon swim began in 1982 (a revival of an event popular in the 1920s), it had only 12 swimmers. Nearly 90 are registered this year, and they range in age from 18 to 76. Many live in the New York area, but others arrive from throughout the country and the world — including participants from Italy, Guatemala, Australia and Japan.

“It’s like applying to college,” said Morty Berger, the founder of the Manhattan Island Foundation, which organizes the annual race. Manhattan Island Marathon Swim hopefuls must complete an online application, submit an essay about why they want to be part of the race and pay a fee of $1,285. Because the race can last more than nine hours, contenders must also complete a qualifying swim to show they have the stamina. Still, Berger said, “We’ll never be able to satisfy the demand.”