Course: 411.0 Miles / 17 Stages
Schedule: July 26 - August 28, 2025
Stage 8
Stage 8: Presque Isle - Thunder Bay Island
DESCRIPTION: Starting on the beach at Presque Isle, relay swimmers set a course for the lighthouse on Thunder Bay Island. After finishing, your support boat returns you to the mainland in Alpena.
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TARGETED START DATE: *Saturday, August 9, 2025 @ 7:00 a.m. EDT
NOTE: Participants must commit to being on site and ready to swim from August 8th through August 10th.
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​START – Presque Isle Range Light Beach (at marina)
FINISH – Thunder Bay Island (Lighthouse)
​MILEAGE: 26.0
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MARINAS: Presque Isle State Harbor (Start) / Alpena Marina (Finish)
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HOTELS: Fireside Inn (Start) / Holiday Inn Express & Suites Alpena (Finish)
IMPORTANT NOTES
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Every effort will be made to adhere to this event schedule. A day off has been scheduled between each swim stage to accommodate for reasonable weather delays. However, persistent weather delays could push back or push up start dates, altering the schedule. If this happens, we will make every effort to catch up and get back on schedule.
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Swimmers wishing to participate in this event should have flexible personal schedules and plan to extend their stay beyond their single targeted start date. *Weather could dictate swimming a day early, a day late, or on more than one day to finish a stage. As a condition of your acceptance to participate, you must commit to being on-site and ready to swim on a scheduled off day occurring both before and after your targeted swim date. This is a 3-day commitment, except for Stage 1 and Stage 17 (the first and last stages), which are 2-day commitments. We will contact you as far in advance as possible if we are off schedule to the point it appears your start date may be moved outside of your 2 or 3-day window. Participants unable to swim due to their start date being pushed outside the 2 or 3-day window will receive a refund of their entry fee, provided a replacement swimmer is secured from the waitlist. Please read Refund Policy.
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Participants should be prepared for the possibility of swimming after dark.
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Event staff will be staying at the hotels listed. Swimmers may attempt to book hotel rooms in the staff hotels at their option and expense. The event will attempt to negotiate a discounted room block for swimmers and their guests at staff hotels. Please keep in mind however, that much of the swim route is in rural areas where hotel choices and the number of rooms are not plentiful, especially during these peak summer months when there is a high demand. Availability may be limited and discounted rates may not be available. Event staff will offer complimentary roundtrip ground transfers for swimmers between the listed hotels and the swim course’s starting and finishing points or the marinas.
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Support boats will be docked at the marinas listed. Swimmers also have the option to take their support boat between the marinas and the start and finish lines.
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At this date, hotel and marina information is still subject to change.