AFMC Command News

Wright-Patterson Sharks set record at Tampa Bay Marathon

  • Published
  • By James Baker
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
CLEARWATER, Fla. --  It was a record setting performance for three Wright-Patterson Air Force Base swimmers at the ninth annual Tampa Bay Marathon Swim.

Doug Gale, of Beavercreek, Ohio, Jay Wilkerson, of Air Force Institute of Technology, and Chris Zingarelli, of National Air and Space Intelligence Center, teamed up to finish first overall in the relay category with a record time of 7 hours and 39 minutes.

"Participating in such a close race really kept us focused," said Zingarelli. "Not only did we swim for a long time, but we were pushing hard on every stroke. It was a tough race but it was a blast!" The competition takes place in one of the largest open water swim venues in the United States, stretching 24 miles across the entire length of the bay. It takes approximately 40,000 strokes to complete the event.

Since its inaugural race in 1998, athletes from all across the world have tested their skills in the water.

Each relay team is provided a support boat where swimmers can switch out and rest on the boat while another team member dives into the water to continue the grueling swim.

A pre-race strategy of only switching a few times quickly changed as the Fort Lauderdale team took early command. Sharks team members said they realized they would have to change swimmers more frequently to stay in the race. The trio swapped out several times to maximize their individual performances.

Well-rested and anxious to get going, Gale closed the gap in the next 30 minutes before Wilkerson took over. The turning point of the race happened when both teams unknowingly hit shallow water.

The Sharks support boat was a flat-bottom boat and had the capability to cross. The Fort Lauderdale boat had to back track and leave their swimmer temporarily alone without proper support.

The Sharks gained a strong lead and increased the gap even more by switching out every 30 minutes to slowly gain command of the race.

The final outcome was a decisive 14-minute victory and a new relay record.

"Very few races in any sport equal the effort required to finish this race and perform at this level," said coach Cody Rasmussen, of AFIT. "What's even more jaw-dropping is the fact that they finished in record time."

(Cody Rasmussen contributed to this story)