2008 Ed Gaw AIOWC - Fait Accompli!

Click here to link to the 2008 Results - the One Mile  and  the 5K .  Or click here to visit the City of Fernandina Beach Parks and Recreation Department home page

Race Day:           Saturday, 24 May 2008
Race Time:         8:30 a.m. (approx.)
Check-In Time:  7:00 a.m. (approx.) at Finish Area
Finish Area:        Main Beach (Intersection of Atlantic Ave and Fletcher Ave)

Thank you to all those swimmers who travelled and participated in the event.  And to those family, friends, and curious onlookers in attendance.  The City of Fernandina Beach did an outstanding job of organizing and executing the swims.  Thank you to those volunteers who the make event possible every year - especially, the YMCA, the Coast Guard Auxillary, the Scuba Station, Publix, and the City of Fernandina Beach! 

Lastly,  a big thank you to Scott Mickelson - the 2008 Ed Gaw AIOWC race director.  Great job!

Look forward to 2009.

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The Ed Gaw Amelia Island Open Water Challenge.  It wasn't called that until the 2005 event.  Before that time, it was simply called the Amelia Island Open Water Challenge or the AIOWC for short.  Needless to say, the event was renamed following the 2004 swim to honor the guy whose energy brought it to life in the first place. 

The event is comprised of a simultaneously held 1-mile and 5K event.  The original event was held in 2000 and has been held annually since.   The AIOWC has been marked by extraordinarly good weather and kind seas as it has poor weather and mean-spirited seas.  This is part of the challenge of the race - taking on what Mother Nature offers up.

Amelia Island and the City of Fernandina Beach play host to the annual event.  The event is coordinated by a raft of volunteers from the area and is lead by the City of Fernandina Beach Parks and Recreation Department.  The City and the Volunteers do an outstanding job of hosting the event each year.  And the Publix confectionary contribution to the post-swim brunch is unsurpassed.

Event entries and sponsorships are used to hold the annual event with excess money donated in support of the local area swim teams and programs. 

Come to Amelia Island for the weekend and enjoy the beautiful beaches.  Shop, eat, and drink in downtown Fernandina Beach.   And, ... get a 1-mile or 5K open water swim in as well.