Reflections After Swimming Around Manhattan

/

Last September, I completed the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim with Urban Swim — swimming 28.5 miles around New York City in 7 hours and 35 minutes through the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers.

After the swim, I shared a full race report covering the training, tides, pacing, preparation, and what the experience physically felt like.

But over the past few months, while working on this documentary, I realized the story became about much more than the swim itself.

Watch the Documentary

Full video: Swimming Around Manhattan | 28.5 Miles in 7 Hours 35 Minutes

More Than a Marathon Swim

At first, I thought this film would mostly focus on the challenge itself:
28.5 miles, changing tides, boat traffic, feeding strategy, fatigue, and the physical side of marathon swimming.

Instead, the documentary naturally became centered around something else entirely:
the swimmers, students, and community surrounding the experience.

Over the last several years, I’ve spent a lot of time coaching swimmers of different levels — from beginners learning comfort in the water to athletes preparing for major open water goals.

As the film developed, I realized some of the most meaningful moments had nothing to do with my own swim.

They came from watching younger swimmers step outside their comfort zones, try something unfamiliar, and slowly start believing they might be capable of more than they originally thought.

One swimmer in particular, Ethan, describes being nervous entering open water for the first time before eventually calming down and settling into the experience.

A moment that stayed with me came later, when he started talking about possibly swimming around Manhattan someday too.

That honestly meant more to me than the finish time.

Why I Wanted to Share This Film

The documentary isn’t just about endurance sports or marathon swimming.

It’s about:

  • mentorship

  • fear and confidence

  • open water culture in NYC

  • access to swimming

  • community

  • and how seeing someone attempt something difficult can change the way younger athletes see themselves

Organizations like Urban Swim, Riverkeeper, Splashfit, and +Pool continue creating opportunities for more people to safely experience the waterways around New York City.

That mission became a huge part of this story too.

Final Thoughts

Swimming around Manhattan was one of the biggest athletic challenges I’ve ever taken on.

But looking back now, the most rewarding part may have been seeing how the experience impacted the swimmers around me.

I hope this documentary encourages more people to:

  • explore open water safely

  • challenge themselves

  • support cleaner waterways

  • and realize that adventure can exist much closer to home than they think

Most of all, I hope it helps younger swimmers understand that big goals usually start with simple curiosity and the willingness to try something new. 

Train With Dan Daly