Lake Superior, known to the Ojibwe as Gichigami (“Great Sea”), is the northern most of the Great Lakes. Its history in open water swimming is defined by a transition from early local endurance tests to true ultra-marathon solo and relay crossings.
Local Endurance
Swimming in Lake Superior started largely as a feat of local grit rather than organized sport.
- 1920s–1930s: Small-scale endurance swims were often held near Duluth, Minnesota, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. These were rarely documented as official “crossings” but established the lake’s reputation for “ice-water” swimming.
- 1960: The Viking Endurance Swim at Park Point in Duluth became one of the first publicized organized events, though the extreme cold often resulted in more DNFs (Did Not Finish) than completions. This is now the venue of the Great Lake Superior Swim.
- 2005: Jim “The Shark” Dreyer decided to mark the 30th anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking in the most hardcore way possible. He took on a solo swim across the lake, but here’s the kicker: he was towing a literal boat full of his own gear the whole time. When his GPS quit on him during the swim, he didn’t panic—he just looked up and navigated by the stars like an old-school explorer.
- The Apostle Island Relay Swim: (AIRS) This 20-mile race around Madeline Island was swum in 2014 and 2015, offering both solo and relay categories. In 2015 it was a buoy course on the lee side of the island due to weather and water conditions. The 2015 top 3 finishers included Linda Steward, Austin Frazier, and Landon Ascheman.
- “Dipping:” For those who want to experience Lake Superior’s wind, waves, and water, but not commit to a long distance endurance event, there is Dipping. Dipping is a local tradition around the lake by jumping into the water and doing short swims, bobbing, and floating.
The Marathon Pioneers
The true narrative of “conquering” the lake began in the late 1980s when marathon swimmers targeted Gichigami to create sanctioned, documented, firsts. (10k and over).
- 1988: Vicki Keith, a Canadian marathon swimmer, became the first person to complete an official marathon swim in Lake Superior. In a legendary summer, she crossed all five Great Lakes, finishing her 20-mile (32 km) Superior swim from Wisconsin to Minnesota on August 15, in exactly 16 hours, creating the West Route.
- 2014: Karen Zemlin became the only solo swimmer to complete the AIRS 20 mile route around Madeline Island.
- 2018: Marilyn Korzekwa, age 61, became the first swimmer to swim an international crossing from Whitefish Point, MI to Pancake Bay, ON Canada, establishing the East Route.
- 2025: Karen Zemlin pioneered the North Route from Isle Royale, MI to Pigeon Point, MN.
Historical Events
Events that highlight the lake’s ecological importance, historical significance, and wild beauty.
- Lake Superior Eco-Relay. As part of the documentary from the Hamline University Center for Global Environmental Education, a group of six swimmers, in 2023, completed a 48-mile relay from historic Split Rock Lighthouse to the port of Duluth in 23.5 hours to raise awareness for climate change.
- The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim. In 2025, to mark the 50th anniversary of the wreck, a massive 17-stage, 411-mile relay began at the wreck site in Lake Superior and ended in Detroit, carrying iron ore pellets to symbolically “finish the cargo’s journey.”
Open Water swimming
While not true marathon or ultra-marathon swims (under 10k), these are great swims and a perfect way to give Lake Superior a try.
- Bayfield, WI hosts the Point to La Pointe Swim in August every year as a fundraiser for the community.
- Duluth, MN hosts the Great Lake Superior Swim each fall at historic Park Point.