On Friday, June 11th, Dave Tonge of Wales completed a 24-hour wetsuited swim in an endless pool, setting a new world record for the longest effort of its kind. 39-year-old Tonge’s endeavor raised over £6000 (~$8200 USD) for Velindre Cancer Hospital in Cardiff.
Over his 24-hour swim, Tonge covered 60,000 meters in freestyle, repeating a pattern of 25 minutes of movement followed by 5 minutes of rest.
“The first 12 hours were easy because I’d done plenty of 12-hour swims in training. But I got to 15 hours and it was tough. My team were tired too, and they were trying to motivate me and stay awake. I swam 55km and was holding an average of 2:20 per 100m, although I did showboat a little bit and went a bit faster at times,” Tonge told 220 Triathlon shortly after setting his record.
Prior to this day-long affair, the Heathwood Swim Coach completed two, 12-hour long swims to help prepare. His first raised over £5000 for National Health Service charities while his second helped earn £2000 for Velindre.
In April of 2020, we reported how Tonge swam 21 miles in 12.5 hours in an endless pool, with the time representing that of an average nurse/doctor shift taking care of coronavirus patients. (Beyond the Lane Lines)
jeeze. he did almost one ron aitkin week in a single day