150 years on from the first unaided swim across the English Channel, between England and France. The 33.3km distance is your chance to follow in their wake, but in warmer waters and spread over four days.
Award winning, all inclusive packages from €1,800
On 25 August 1875, Captain Matthew Webb became the first person to swim the English Channel unaided. He crossed from Dover to Calais in almost 22 hours, doing breaststroke through cold water, strong tides and stinging jellyfish.
His motto was simple, and it has become ours: Nothing Great Is Easy. Webb proved the Channel could be crossed by human effort alone, and turned open water swimming into a feat the whole public could follow.
Exactly 150 years on, the 33.3km UltraSwim 33.3 distance carries his legacy forward, spread across four days in warm water rather than a single brutal night.
On 6 August 1926, Gertrude 'Trudy' Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She crossed in 14 hours and 39 minutes, faster than any of the five men who had managed it before her.
She swam front crawl through a rising storm, greased against the cold, and came ashore having rewritten what was thought possible at the time for women in sport. New York welcomed her home with a ticker tape parade.
Webb and Ederle's achievements inspire us all. Their courage is the reason the Channel distance still means something more than a century later.
Nine short questions, about two minutes of your time. We read your submission, then share information with you to help you select the right event for you.
From Captain Webb's first crossing to your own 33.3km.
1875
Captain Matthew Webb
The first unaided crossing of the English Channel, Dover to Calais in almost 22 hours of breaststroke.
1896
The First Modern Olympic Games
Early Olympic swimming was already “open water".
At the first modern Games in Athens 1896, swimming races were held in the Bay of Zea (Mediterranean Sea) in open water, not in a pool. The next few Olympics also used open-water venues: the Seine River (Paris 1900), an artificial lake (St Louis 1904), and the Mediterranean again (Athens 1906).
From London 1908 onward, Olympic swimming moved into purpose-built pools, ending the early era of open-water swimming events in the Olympics.
1926
Trudy Ederle
The first woman to swim the Channel, in 14 hours 39 minutes, faster than every man before her.
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1927
Mercedes Gleitze
In 1927, Mercedes Gleitze became the first British woman to cross the English Channel, completing it in about 15 hours. She was the first ever Rolex ambassador, making her a pioneer in sport business.
1927
The Channel Swimming Association
Founded to observe and ratify Channel swims, setting the standard that marathon swimming still follows worldwide.
2008
Open Water Swimming as an Olympic Discipline
Open water swimming as a dedicated Olympic discipline made its debut at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics with the men’s and women’s 10 km marathon swim.
2022
UltraSwim 33.3
Established in 2022, swimming the iconic distance of the English Channel, but over 4 days.. UltraSwim 33.3 grew from our passion for swimming and our experience in sport, with one simple ambition: to create challenges that bring out something extraordinary in people.
150 years after Captain Webb, the 33.3km distance is yours to take on, in warm water and good company. Find your event and become a 33.3'er.
Book nowAll our events so far have won awards. See reviews from other swimmers.
