The Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort Reports St. Croix Coral Reef Swim Race Results

An international field of 181 swimmers participated in the five, 1-mile and 2-mile open water swims that were held on Sunday, Nov 13. The sold-out 5-mile race started at Buck Island National Monument; the 2-mile began at Pull Point; the 1-mile began at Shoy’s Beach. All three events ran concurrently and ended at the palm-shaded shore at The Buccaneer’s Mermaid Beach.

Swimmers ranged in age from 12 to 78. Onlookers cheered on their friends and family as they enjoyed the steel pan band on the beach and the entertaining moko jumbie dancers.

The Coral Reef Swim was founded by Elizabeth Armstrong, owner of The Buccaneer, and her friend Kim Rice Sanford in 1996. It has become one of the top open-water events in the Caribbean.

Zane Grothe, 30, from Auburn, Ala., led the field of 67 and completed the 5-mile course first, with a time of 1:43:28. Grothe was on the U.S. World Championship Team from 2016-2017 and a member of the U.S. Pan-Pac Team in 2018. Alex Kostich, 52, from Los Angeles, having taken first place 21 of the 24 times he has swum this race, finished second overall with a time of 1:49:37. Kaeden Gleason, 15 years old and from St. Croix, finished third in 1:51:21.