MARATHON AND ULTRA MARATHON SWIMMING
Marathon swimming in Brazil
BISA runs open water marathon swims on Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro: seven routes from 12 to 76 km, solo or relay, every swim with an escort boat, a pilot and an official observer.
What a marathon swim is
BISA's rules are aligned with the Marathon Swimmers Federation (MSF). A marathon swim is a continuous open water swim under standardised rules, requiring several hours of sustained effort. The minimum distance is 10 km without significant current assistance.
It is non-stop: the swimmer stays in the water from start to finish, with no intentional supportive contact with the boat, the crew or any object. It is unassisted: only the sport's standard equipment, with no wetsuit, fins or flotation.
Marathon and ultra marathon
The 12, 16, 22 and 25 km routes are marathon swims. From 37 km on, every route goes beyond the 25 km of the longest race in official championships and becomes an ultra marathon swim: 37 km along the sheltered side of the island, 48 km along the ocean side and 76 km around the whole island.
The seven routes
- 12 kmFuga da IlhaAbraão → Praia do Engenho (Portogalo)Solo only
- 16 kmChallengeFreguesia de Santana → PousoSolo or two-person relay
- 22 kmBay CrossingPraia dos Meros → Pouso de CajaíbaSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmers
- 25 kmThe PassageLopes Mendes → Praia do Cazuza (Portogalo)Solo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmers
- 37 kmShelteredMeros → AbraãozinhoSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
- 48 kmUnshelteredAroeira → LongaSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
- 76 kmCompletePalmas → PalmasSolo or a relay of 2, 3 or 4 swimmersultra
Solo or relay
The 12 km is solo only and the 16 km is solo or duo. All other routes are solo or teams of two, three or four.
In a relay, team, order and interval stay fixed from start to finish: 30-minute legs on the 16 km and 60-minute legs elsewhere, with in-water changeovers within five minutes. Solo swimmers may have a pace swimmer for up to one hour at a time, a number of times that depends on the route.
How an attempt works
- Choose a route, a format and a seven-day window, and send the window booking form.
- Once the date is approved, BISA issues the administrative fee, which secures the booking, and sends the medical certificate and training certificate forms.
- Forms and the swim fee are settled seven days before the window opens.
- From the day before the window opens until its second-to-last day, the team confirms the start according to the sea forecast.
- The observer documents the swim, and the records support ratification.
Your off-season, our swim season
BISA's log has completed swims in every month of the year. 51 of them took place between November and March, when the English Channel season is closed.
An open swim log
Since 2020, BISA has logged 137 attempts and 125 completed swims. The times are on the site, by route and format.
Go deeper
- Rules and ratificationBISA rules for marathon swims on Ilha Grande, aligned with the Marathon Swimmers Federation: standard equipment with no wetsuits, official observer, relays, pace swimmers, sea conditions and ratification.
- English Channel and Oceans SevenCompare BISA's Ilha Grande routes with the English Channel and the Oceans Seven: distances, no-wetsuit rules, escort boat and observer. Long swims in Brazil during the northern off-season.
- Marathon swim preparationWhat BISA requires for a marathon swim on Ilha Grande: medical and training certificates, feeding from the boat, pace swimmers, crew on board and swimming through the night.
BISA · ILHA GRANDE
Which route do you want to start planning?
A route, a format and a time of year in mind. That is where the conversation begins.