NEWPORT — A record-breaking ultra-marathon open water swim has been completed on Lake Memphremagog by an Indiana man.
Stephen Rouch of Indianapolis swam the 50-mile length of Lake Memphremagog between Newport, Vermont, and Magog, Quebec, and back to Newport, in 25 hours and 12 minutes.
Rouch left from the EastSide Restaurant in Newport at 11:00 a.m. on August 22, and cleared the water in Magog at 10:40 p.m., completing the first crossing in 11 hours and 40 minutes.
He re-entered the water in Magog at 10.43 p.m. and swam back to Newport, clearing the water at the Eastside Restaurant at 12:12 p.m., completing his second crossing in a time of 13 hours and 32 minutes.
He did so in full compliance with the general standards for channel crossing and open water marathon swimming, and fully consistent with the rules established by the Marathon Swimmers Federation.
In doing so, he became the first male to swim a double crossing of Lake Memphremagog and also the fastest in compliance with these general standards.
Rouch maintained a blistering pace averaging 2 mph despite facing a feisty headwind soon after crossing the border into Canada.
His fast, consistent pace and supportive, well-equipped team helped him clock the fastest double crossing of Lake Memphremagog in history.
The swim is part of a series of expeditions and solo swims of the length of Lake Memphremagog known as In Search of Memphre, organized and hosted by Kingdom Games, and sanctioned by the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association.
