Marcelo Figuerinho Blazes A Fast Ilha Grande Circumnavigation Swim

After competing in the Rei e Rainha do Mar 10 km swim, the Swim Explorer, and the Fuga da Ilha Grande in his native Brazil, 53-year-old Marcelo Figuerinho set the best time for a Brazilian in the 16 km Ilha Grande in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

It was the ultramarathon swimming debut of the 53-year-old swimmer from Petrópolis. On February 25th, he set off on the 16 km BISA (Big Island Swimming Association) course, and completed the route from Freguesia de Santana to Praia do Pouso in 5 hours 15 minutes. This is the best mark for a Brazilian athlete on the course, second only to Argentine Damián Blaum who completed the course in 4 hours 12 minutes in May 2022.

After finishing the challenge and learning of his great result, Figuerinho praised the race and the beauty of the course. "The swim presented unforgettable moments. It was sensational; the scenery and the sunrise were wonderful."

The Ilha Grande course is located in one of the most beautiful scenarios in Brazil, declared by UNESCO as a Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Ilha Grande is an island in Brazil located 2 km to the mainland. It was used as a penal colony between 1900 and 1990.

In addition to the 16 km The Challenge course, BISA offers a 25 km The Island Escape course, 37 km The Sheltered course, the 48 km The Unsheltered course, and the 76 km The Complete course, circumnavigating all of Ilha Grande. For more information, visit here.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Righetti.

By Steven Munatones.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and Editor of the KAATSU Magazine. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (2022), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007 and 2010), and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984, awarded to the senior whose interests are not bounded by academic or institutional structures. A joyous, deeply-rooted affirmation of life, disdain for the purely conventional; a love of adventure, and desire to learn by experiencing; the ability to respond creatively to difficult situations). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (until 2011) and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, a 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff including 4 FINA World Championships, and 2008 NBC Olympic 10K Marathon Swim commentator.



Location: Huntington Beach, CA, USA

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