Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) swims
The Sea of Galilee (also known as Kinneret or Lake Tiberias) is a freshwater lake in northeast Israel, between the Golan Heights and the Galilee region of the Jordan Rift Valley. Itzhak Yehezkel was the first to swim the 20.5 km lengthwise axis of the lake in 1944.
Since 2020, Sea of Galilee swims are sanctioned by the Galilee Marathon Swimming Association.
| Route | Swims | First | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|
| South - North - South | 3 | Joe Zemaitis - 2019 | Joe Zemaitis - 14:52:00 (2019) |
| Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 45 | Itzhak Yehezkel - 1944 | Avishag Turek - 05:34:00 (2021) |
| Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 23 | Itzhak Yehezkel - 1953 | Avishag Turek - 05:53:38 (2021) |
| North - South - North | 2 | Avishag Turek - 2019 | Avishag Turek - 14:54:00 (2019) |
| West to East | 3 | Eyal Schachner - 2020 | Eyal Schachner - 03:22:00 (2020) |
| East to West | 22 | Gal Kohn - 2020 | Avishag Turek - 02:52:00 (2020) |
| East - West - East | 1 | Avishag Turek - 2021 | Avishag Turek - 06:42:00 (2021) |
Length
| Date | Name | Gender | Age | Nation | Route | Km | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 Oct 28 | Itzhak Yehezkel |  | 22 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 09:44:00 | |
| 1953 Aug 23 | Itzhak Yehezkel | | 30-31 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 10:18:00 | |
| 1953 Sep 22 | Yehuda Shevek | | 22 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:18:30 | |
| 1953 Oct 29 | Oded Paz | | 21 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 07:23:00 | |
| 1954 Oct 23 | Malka Tenenbaum |  | 19 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:20:40 | |
| 1954 Oct 23 | Edna Borenstein | | 17 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:40:00 | |
| 1955 Oct 9 | Itzhak Yehezkel | | 33 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:33:00 | |
| 1964 Oct 23 | Mary Margaret Revell | | 27 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:39:10 | |
| 2005 Sep 2 | Alon Peled | | 41-42 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:00:00 | |
| 2005 Sep 2 | Elisha Gefen | | 48-49 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:00:00 | |
| 2006 Jul 7 | Ram Barkai | | 48 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 07:15:00 | |
| 2006 Jul 7 | Tal Snunit | | 44 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 07:15:00 | |
| 2006 Jul 7 | Adi Parag | | 49-50 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 07:15:00 | |
| 2009 Sep 2 | Bill Welzien | | 59 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 10:25:00 | |
| 2013 Dec 21 | Hadar Aviram | | 38 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 09:30:00 | |
| 2014 May 16 | Yaron Davidi | | 53 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:30:00 | |
| 2014 May 16 | Elad Benyamin | | 40 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:30:00 | |
| 2014 Sep 4 | Avishag Turek | | 39 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:02:00 | |
| 2014 Sep 4 | Theodore Yach | | 56 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:02:00 | |
| 2015 May 26 | Yigal Sela | | 63 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 10:15:00 | |
| 2016 Dec 9 | Avishag Turek | | 41 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:50:00 | |
| 2016 Dec 9 | Stuart Hacker | | 39 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:55:00 | |
| 2016 Dec 9 | Yaron Davidi | | 55 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:23:00 | |
| 2016 Dec 9 | Idit Ron | | 57 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 09:17:00 | |
| 2016 Dec 9 | Gad Benjamin | | 70 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 09:31:00 | |
| 2017 Feb 24 | Avishag Turek | | 41 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:50:00 | |
| 2017 Jun 29 | Avishag Turek | | 42 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:15:00 | |
| 2017 Jun 29 | Guy Cohen | | 52 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:15:00 | |
| 2018 Apr 20 | Avishag Turek | | 43 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:02:00 | |
| 2018 Apr 20 | Guy Cohen | | 53 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:02:00 | |
| 2018 Apr 20 | Stuart Hacker | | 41 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:07:00 | |
| 2018 Apr 20 | Michael Helps | | 52 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:07:00 | |
| 2018 Apr 30 | Avishag Turek | | 43 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:46:00 | |
| 2018 Jun 18 | Avishag Turek | | 43 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:47:00 | |
| 2018 Jun 18 | Fabrice Beer-Gabel | | 49 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:47:00 | |
| 2019 Mar 22 | Guy Cohen | | 54 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:40:00 | |
| 2019 Mar 22 | Eyal Schachner | | 48 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:40:00 | |
| 2019 Mar 29 | Avishag Turek | | 44 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 05:50:00 | |
| 2020 May 12 | Avishag Turek | | 45 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 06:19:15 | |
| 2020 Oct 28 | Debbie Sacks Chitiz | | 60 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:12:00 | |
| 2020 Oct 29 | Amit Renan | | 51-52 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 10:47:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 3 | Michael Hassoun | | 48-49 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 3 | Yaron Rosenbaum | | 45-46 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 23 | Gad Benjamin | | 74 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:58:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 23 | Tzvi Golzman | | 46 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:58:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 23 | Einat Or | | 48-49 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:58:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 23 | Eyal Zeldin | | 58-59 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:58:00 | |
| 2021 Mar 9 | Avishag Turek | | 46 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 05:53:38 | |
| 2021 Apr 22 | Yaron Davidi | | 60 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 09:30:00 | |
| 2021 Apr 22 | Dan Davidi | | 50 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 09:30:00 | |
| 2021 May 27 | Avishag Turek | | 46 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 05:34:00 | |
| 2021 Oct 6 | Yael Friedland | | 36 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:31:00 | |
| 2021 Oct 26 | Avishag Turek | | 46 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:06:00 | |
| 2022 Apr 3 | Attila Mányoki | | 48 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:28:00 | |
| 2022 Apr 14 | Matthew Moseley | | 55 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 07:24:00 | |
| 2022 Apr 25 | Pat Gallant-Charette | | 71 | Capernaum (N) to Zemach (S) | 20.5 | 08:22:00 | |
| 2022 May 12 | Thorsten Ullrich-Stegemann | | 56 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:21:00 | |
| 2022 May 18 | Natalia Chuich | | 55 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:53:00 | |
| 2022 May 25 | Debbie Sacks Chitiz | | 62 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:16:00 | |
| 2022 Jun 15 | Shai Mienis | | 48 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:51:00 | |
| 2022 Sep 20 | Sam Whelpton | | 36-37 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:09:00 | |
| 2022 Oct 3 | Yael Friedland | | 36-37 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 11:00:00 | |
| 2023 Mar 16 | Jan Duk | | 41-42 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:46:33 | |
| 2023 Mar 22 | William Smith | | 35 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 07:42:00 | |
| 2023 Apr 21 | Aryan Singh Dadiala | | 21-22 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:15:00 | |
| 2023 Apr 24 | Ed Riley | | 64 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 06:45:20 | |
| 2023 Apr 24 | Jamie Tout | | 69 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 08:24:20 | |
| 2023 May 2 | Avram Iancu | | 46-47 | Zemach (S) to Capernaum (N) | 20.5 | 11:46:51 |
Two-Way Length
| Date | Name | Gender | Age | Nation | Route | Km | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Oct 30 | Avishag Turek | | 44 | North - South - North | 41 | 14:54:00 | |
| 2019 Nov 15 | Joe Zemaitis | | 39 | South - North - South | 41 | 14:52:00 | |
| 2019 Nov 15 | John Zemaitis | | 36 | South - North - South | 41 | 14:52:00 | |
| 2021 Apr 13 | Avishag Turek | | 46 | North - South - North | 41 | 15:25:00 | |
| 2022 May 30 | Kathleen Wilson | | 58 | South - North - South | 41 | 16:45:00 |
Width
| Date | Name | Gender | Age | Nation | Route | Km | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 May 31 | Eyal Schachner | | 49 | West to East | 10 | 03:22:00 | |
| 2020 May 31 | Guy Cohen | | 55 | West to East | 10 | 03:22:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Gal Kohn | | 53-54 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Daniel Efrat | | 49-50 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Yoav Segal | | 45-46 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Rony Gutierrez | | 45-46 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Ruvy Alpert | | 47-48 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Yaron Nir | | 52-53 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Dan Levy | | 44-45 | East to West | 10 | 04:34:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Maya Inbar | | 45-46 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Iris Peer Hasid | | 47-48 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Ido Shniberg | | 43-44 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Tzachi Barak | | 42-43 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Avi Levy | | 58-59 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Alon Levy | | 53-54 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 6 | Eduardo Borrotchin | | 44-45 | East to West | 10 | 05:07:00 | |
| 2020 Nov 19 | Avishag Turek | | 45 | East to West | 10 | 02:52:00 | |
| 2021 Oct 6 | Eyal Philip | | 50 | West to East | 10 | 03:46:00 | |
| 2021 Nov 25 | Ran Geva | | 47 | East to West | 10 | 04:07:00 | |
| 2022 Oct 23 | Reham Mansour | | 37-38 | East to West | 10 | 03:21:00 | |
| 2022 Oct 23 | Dafna Slutzkai | | 52-53 | East to West | 10 | 03:21:00 | |
| 2023 Apr 3 | Louise Twining-Ward | | 54 | East to West | 10 | 03:23:43 | |
| 2023 Apr 3 | Fabrice Beer-Gabel | | 54 | East to West | 10 | 03:23:43 | |
| 2023 Apr 16 | Joshua Silverbeck | | 23 | East to West | 10 | 03:46:00 | |
| 2023 May 10 | Dani Rapaport | | 60 | East to West | 10 | 04:33:00 |
Two-Way Width
| Date | Name | Gender | Age | Nation | Route | Km | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Nov 27 | Avishag Turek | | 46 | East - West - East | 20 | 06:42:00 |
Reviews
Reviewer: William Smith (August 2023)
Swam in 2023 (Finished)
Overall Experience: ★️★️★️★️★️
Pilot: Micky Lyner
Fees: NA
Communication ★️★️★️★️★️
Piloting Skill: ★️★️★️★️★️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️✩️
Comments: "Micky is a local pilot who knows and understands the conditions on Galilee. He has accompanied swimmers and was very supportive. I felt very fortunate to have his experience as a pilot."
Association: Galilee Swimming Association
Fees: NA
Communication ★️★️★️★️★️
Advice & Support: ★️★️★️★️★️
Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "The Galilee swimming association were very supportive they provided the observer Gad Benjamin who has previously swum the swim and this gave me confidence. The association is run by long distance swimmers who understand the challenges of long distance swimming and are keen to help swimmers succeed."
General Comments: "As the Galilee swim is 20km and the season is October-March I think the Galilee swim is a great warm up swim for the English Channel. I felt much better prepared in my EC training and this swim gave me something to focus on."
Reviewer: Edward Riley (August 2023)
Swam in 2023 (Finished)
Overall Experience: ★️★️★️★️★️
Pilot: Wakeboard israel/wake up ski school -Lior
Fees: Total $1540usd
Communication ★️★️★️★️✩️
Piloting Skill: ★️★️★️★️★️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "Held perfect course from start to finish, was aware of swimmers position vis a vis boat engine fumes and swimmer"
Association: Galilee marathon swimming assoc.
Fees: $210usd for observer and Association
Communication ★️★️★️★️★️
Advice & Support: ★️★️★️★️★️
Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "Eyal Schachtner and Guy Cohen run a great, safe and challenging swim."
General Comments: "The Sea of Galilee aka lake kinneret & lake Tiberius was kind to this swimmer in both temperature and temperament but can kick up a storm on a moments notice. My pilot steered straight and true, the observers were knowledgeable and friendly. Overall rate this swim 1st class in every respect. A must do for all Marathon Swimmers."
Reviewer: Guy Cohen (August 2023)
Swam in 2019 (Finished)
Overall Experience: ★️★️★️★️★️
Pilot: Lior Eliyahu, Wake School
Fees: 4500 ILS
Communication ★️★️★️★️★️
Piloting Skill: ★️★️★️★️★️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Association: Galilee Marathon Swimming Association
Fees: 680 ILS
Communication ★️★️★️★️★️
Advice & Support: ★️★️★️★️★️
Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "I am cofounder of GMSA"