Marathon swimming

Geographical routes include crossings of channels and lakes, circumnavigations of islands, and stretches of coast lines or rivers.

Perhaps the most famous route in marathon swimming crosses the English Channel, first accomplished in 1875 by Captain Matthew Webb in 21h:45m.

The first woman to complete the crossing was Gertrude Ederle 14h:39m in 1926 as a 19 year old, thereby setting a new fastest known time by 1h:54m by employing the crawl stroke technique.

Cultural factors include swim direction, allowed equipment and swimmer assistance.

These may be established by route convention (e.g. English Channel), by event organizers, or by personal goals, with Marathon Swimmers Federation rules often used as a foundation.