Bill Welzien
From Openwaterpedia
David Ezmirly with 74-year-old Bill Welzien after completing his 146th career solo circumnavigation swim of 20.1 km around Key West in southern Florida in 6 hours 23 minutes on 14 April 2025. His streak began in 1991 and continues through 2025
Bill Welzien's Century Swim in Key West was nominated for the 2018 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year by the World Open Water Swimming Association
Bill Welzien after completing his Century Swim, his 100th career circumnavigation swim around Key West, Florida on 19 May 2018
Escort kayaker Doug Weeks with 68-year-old Bill Welzien's 91st circumnavigation swim of Key West, Florida on 11 July 2017
Bill Welzien swimming across the Sea of Tiberias in Israel
David Welzien with Bill Welzien after completing 122nd career solo circumnavigation swim of 20.1 km around Key West in southern Florida in 6 hours 59 minutes on 11 May 2021. His streak began in 1991 and continues through 2021
William Welzien (born in Chicago on 17 April 1950, nickname Ciastko) is a 75-year-old American open water swimmer and race director of the 12.5-mile (20.1 km) Swim Around Key West, one of the longest continuously running marathon swims in the world. He has completed 146 circumnavigation swims around Key West, Florida starting in 1991 and continuing as of February 2025.
Contents
Open Water Swimming Highlights
- Welzien completed a sesquicentennial swim, a 20.1 km circumnavigation swim around Key West, Florida on 12 June 2025 at the age of 75 in 7 hours 16 minutes 15 seconds with escort kayakers David Welzien and David Ezmirly.
- Welzien completed his 146th circumnavigation swim around Key West, Florida on 14 April 2025 at the age of 74 in 6 hours 23 minutes with escort kayaker David Ezmirly in the 75°F (23.8°C) water.
- Welzien completed his 142nd circumnavigation swim around Key West, Florida on 13 February 2025 at the age of 74 years and 10 months in 7 hours 2 minutes 4 seconds with David Welzien as his escort kayaker.
- Welzien has completed his Century Swim in May 2018, an unprecedented 100 solo circumnavigations of the island of Key West at the southernmost point of the state of Florida over the course of his career.
- As of October 2023, Welzien has completed 136 circumnavigation swims around Key West, Florida.
- Welzien completed an unprecedented 10 hour 25 minute 44 second solo crossing from the northern shore to the southernmost end of the 21 km (14-mile) Sea of Galilee (also known as the Lake of Gennesaret, Lake Kinneret or Sea of Tiberias (Hebrew: ים כנרת), (Arabic: بحيرة طبريا) on 4 September 2009.
- Welzien completed the 8-mile Alligator Reef Lighthouse Swim in Islamorada, Florida on 21 September 2014.
- Welzien completed a two-way crossing of the width of Sea of Tiberias in September 2015.
- He was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
Swim Around Key West
The Swim Around Key West began in 1976 by Anna Fugina, who had suffered injuries from a car accident and used swimming as therapy to assist in recovery. On 4 July 1976, Fugina took roughly 12 hours to finish the circumnavigation around Key West. In 1968, she finished in 8 hours. She completed the 37th annual Swim Around Key West in a relay in 6 hours 42 minutes.
The race takes a clockwise course around Key West, the southernmost tip of Florida and is held in June. The original Swim Around Key West is held in beautiful, shallow, generally calm warm waters (85°F or 29.4ºC) with the bottom of the ocean visible throughout the course. Abundant marine life includes Conch shells, manta rays, seaweed, sting rays, sea turtles, very docile nurse sharks and colorful tropical fish. Race includes a solo swim, a 2-person relay and a 4-person relay.
- #64 on 24 April 2016, 6 hours 28 minutes with escort kayaker Douglas Weeks
- #64 on 21 May 2016, 6 hours 52 minutes with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #65 on 4 June 2016, 6 hours 15 minutes with escort kayaker David Welzien
- #66 on 22 June 2016, 6 hours 19 minutes with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #66 on 5 July 2016, 6 hours 46 minutes with escort kayaker John Gildersleeve
- #68 on 4 August 2016, 6 hours 45 minutes with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #69 on 16 August 2016, 6 hours 45 minutes with escort kayaker Abigail White
- #80 on 4 September 2016, 6 hours 46 minutes with escort kayaker Dr. Ryan Barnett
- #81 on 16 September 2016, 6 hours 5 minutes with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #82 on 40 September 2016, 6 hours 46 minutes with escort kayaker Billy Welzien
- #84 on 15 October 2016, 6 hours 16 seconds with escort kayaker Billy Welzien
- #84 on 14 November 2016, 5 hours 55 minutes with escort kayaker Abigail White
- #85 on 16 November 2016, 6 hours 40 minutes with escort kayaker Nora Jones
- #86 on 15 December 2016, 6 hours 6 minutes with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #86 on 29 December 2016, 6 hours 12 minutes with escort kayaker Jeremy Smith
- #91 on 11 July 2016, 6 hours 14 minutes with escort kayaker Doug Weeks
- #94 on 8 August 2016, 6 hours 4 minutes 44 seconds with escort kayaker Terence White
- #94 on 4 September 2016, 6 hours 41 minutes 56 seconds with escort kayaker Doug Weeks
- #95 on 18 October 2016, 6 hours 45 minutes 40 seconds with escort kayaker Abigail White
- #96 on 2 November 2016, 6 hours 11 minutes 16 seconds with escort kayaker Jane Welzien
- #96 on 18 November 2016 in 6 hours 12 minutes 55 seconds with escort kayaker Douglas Weeks
- #98 on 4 December 2016 in 5 hours 56 minutes 22 seconds with escort kayaker Captain Don Nelson
- #100 on 19 May 2018 in 6 hours 21 minutes 41 seconds with escort kayakers Jane Welzien, Doug Weeks, Matt Avery, and Pam Borgert
- #102 on 16 June 2018 in 6 hours 44 minutes 20 seconds at the 2018 Swim Around Key West event
- #123 on 26 June 2021 in 6 hours 56 minutes 33 seconds at the age of 71 at the 2021 Swim Around Key West event
- #147 on 27 April 2025 in 6 hours 30 minutes 56 seconds at the age of 75 with escort kayaker David Ezmirly
External links
- 75-year-old Bill Welzien Competes #151, Logan Martin Wins Swim Around Key West
- 75-year-old Bill Welzien Completes Sesquicentennial Swim Around Key West
- 149th Circumnavigation Swim around Key West for 75-year-old Bill Welzien Around Key West – Onwards to #150
- 148th Circumnavigation Swim for 75-year-old Bill Welzien Around Key West - The Streak Is Alive and Well
- 147th Circumnavigation Swim for 75-year-old Bill Welzien Around Key West - The Streak Continues
- 146th Circumnavigation Swim for Bill Welzien Around Key West - The Streak Continues
- #143 for Bill Welzien around Key West: I feel God’s pleasure when I swim
- 142 And Counting For Bill Welzien - The Septuagenarian With a Remarkable Streak
- 137 And Counting For Bill Welzien - Around and Around He Swims
- From 1977 to 2024 - Anna Fugina And The Swim Around Key West
- How Do You Pioneer An Open Water Swim?
- Avishag Turek Setting Standards Across The Sea of Galilee
- Swim Around Key West. Another Warm One In The Books
- 122 And Counting For Bill Welzien
- Registration Opens For The Swim Around Key West
- 71 Years Strong Bill Welzien
- Bill Welzien Does Another Marathon In Key West
- Bill Welzien Accomplishes #73 Around Key West
- 2018 World Open Water Swimming Performance Of The Year Nominees
- Bill Welzien Accomplishes #64 Around Key West
- Swim Around Key West
- Swim Across The Sea of Galilee
- Crossing Of The Kinneret
- Great Open Water Circumnavigations
- A Short List of Marathon Swims
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Marathon Swimming
- Open Water Swimming
- Olympic Marathon Swims For Amateurs Of All Abilities
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- What Is A Marathon Swim?
- Do Marathon Runs Compare To Marathon Swims?
- Longest Marathon Swims In The World
- What is The Defined Distance Of A Marathon Swim?
- How Many Channel Swimmers Are There In The World?
- The Colors Of The Alligator Reef Lighthouse Swim
- Hadar Aviram Across The Sea Of Galilee
- Theodore Yach And Avishug Turek Cross The Sea Of Galilee
- Bill Welzien To Go Double Duty
- Swimming Into A Sand Storm
- Bill Welzien Swimming To This Diamond Anniversary
- Bill Welzien Goes For His Diamond Swim
- Seth Kurtz Set To Defend Title In Key West
- Kathie Hewko Makes 92nd Golden Gate Bridge Crossing
- 2016 Swims Around Key West By Bill Welzien
- Bill Welzien Is Down To Lucky 14
- Bill Welzien, Believe It Or Not
- 41st Annual Swim Around Key West To Open
- 91 Circumnavigations Down, 9 To Go
- #94, #94, #95 Down Around Key West
- Bill Welzien Completes #96, Closing In On A Century Swim
- 96 Down, 4 To Go With Bill Welzien Around Key West
- 98 Down, 2 To Go Around Key West
- Bill Welzien: 99 Down, 1 To Go Around Key West
- Bill Welzien Completes His Century Swim Around Key West
- 101 Down. Bill Welzien Up For More
- Kathie Hewko, 94 Down, 6 To Go Across Golden Gate Bridge
- Bill Welzien Continues On
