MARATHON SWIM · 16 KM
Challenge · 16 km
Freguesia de Santana → Pouso. Solo or two-person relay.
From Freguesia de Santana to Pouso, the Challenge is the route with the most swims in BISA's log. It can be swum solo or as a duo; in a duo, each swimmer takes 30-minute legs in a fixed order.
For swimmers moving up from 10 km races to their first crossing with an escort boat, a pilot and an observer, it is the most chosen starting point.
The route in numbers
- Distance
- 16 km
- Start
- Freguesia de Santana
- Finish
- Pouso
- Formats
- Solo or two-person relay
- Pace swimmer (solo)
- Up to 1 one-hour swim
- Relay leg
- 30 min per swimmer, fixed order
- Equipment
- Standard, no wetsuit
Who has swum this route
Figures from the BISA swim log. The fastest time in a selection is a reference, not a ratified record.
- completed swims
- 78
- solo
- 64
- relay
- 14
- since
- 2020
- Fastest solo time logged
- 3 h 51 min 18 s · Glauco Rangel · Jul 25, 2024
- Fastest relay time logged
- 4 h 15 min 10 s · Patrick Winkler, Catarina Ganzeli Winkler · Jan 14, 2022

Caroline Morioka · Jul 06, 2026 · From Daniel Righetti’s archive 
Marcio Eduardo Abujamra · May 08, 2026 · From Daniel Righetti’s archive 
Carlos Eduardo Ottavi · May 07, 2026 · From Daniel Righetti’s archive
Most recent completed swims
| Date | Swimmer or team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 06, 2026 | Caroline MoriokaSolo | 5 h 54 min 49 s |
| May 08, 2026 | Marcio Eduardo AbujamraSolo | 6 h 18 min 24 s |
| May 07, 2026 | Carlos Eduardo OttaviSolo | 4 h 36 min 15 s |
| May 06, 2026 | Arnaldo GrossmannSolo | 5 h 14 min 40 s |
| Apr 07, 2026 | Carolina Yoshida e Vinícius StippRelay | 6 h 33 min 01 s |
Other routes
- 12 kmFuga da IlhaAbraão → Praia do Engenho (Portogalo)Solo only
- 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
Go deeper
- Marathon swimming in BrazilOpen water marathon and ultra marathon swims on Ilha Grande, Brazil: seven routes from 12 to 76 km, solo or relay, under MSF-aligned rules with escort boat and official observer.
- 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
Want to swim Challenge?
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