Marisa Frieder was walking her dog in Portland along the Willamette River in 2010 when an idea struck her.
“I was looking at the river and thought, it would be cool to swim under all those bridges,” Frieder said.
Frieder trained to swim under the bridges, then numbering 11. Then she decided to do it again in 2011 — but as a race, so others could enjoy the experience too.
On Sunday, 100 swimmers joined what’s now called Portland Bridge Swim, an 11-mile course under 12 bridges from the Sellwood Bridge in Southeast Portland to the St. Johns Bridge in North Portland. (Tilikum Crossing expanded the ranks of Portland bridges in 2015.)
“This thing we just started because we thought it would be fun has grown to the point where people fly across the country to swim in our river,” Frieder said.
One of those travelers was Chad Schneider, who flew from Sydney, Australia for the event. Schneider, who finished in third place in about five hours, said he has been regularly competing in long-distance swims since 2000. He signed up for the bridge swim to visit the Pacific Northwest for the first time.
Schneider said he was so happy crossing under the Ross Island Bridge that he audibly cheered.
“I felt like I had my groove after that bridge and if I’m honest after that I was locked in and didn’t really look up to take any of the other bridges in,” Schneider said.
Other swimmers said they enjoyed having the bridges as progress markers. That included Ilsa Feierabend, a Portland resident who won in four hours and two minutes. Feierabend said the Fremont Bridge was her favorite to look at during the race but the section of the race after that was the most difficult.
“The last mile of the race is very choppy, and you just stare at this [St. Johns] bridge forever,” Feierabend said.
Feierabend said swimming in the Willamette is a great way to celebrate Portland, a message that the race founder Frieder said she shares and hopes others will absorb.
“When you are downtown and you see 70 to 100 people swim by, that is going to catch your eye,” Frieder said. “Maybe it will make you think twice about the health of the river.”
Ilsa Feierabend, of Portland, finishes first at the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Ilsa Feierabend, of Portland, finishes first at the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Ilsa Feierabend, of Portland, finishes first at the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Ilsa Feierabend, of Portland, finishes first at the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Ilsa Feierabend, of Portland, finishes first at the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
Swimmers participate in the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim, which spanned 11 miles down the Willamette River from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge.
A security guard pets Laker (left) and Theo (right) at the Portland Bridge Swim finish line in Cathedral Park.
Marisa Frieder, founder of Portland Bridge Swim, smiles for a picture during the 2024 race at Cathedral Park.
A swimmer and their kayak partner pass the new barge at Cathedral Park.
First place swimmer Ilsa Feierabend celebrates her victory at the finish line in Cathedral Park.
A swimmer nears the finish line during the 2024 Portland Bridge Swim.
Chad Schneider, from Sidney, Australia, receives his third-place marker at the finish line. Schneider said he has been marathon swimming since 2000.
Onlookers and kayak escorts watch a swimmer in the Willamette River near the end of the Bridge swim race.
An onlooker takes a cell phone video of a swimmer finishing the 11-mile-long race.
Ellie Braun, from Idaho, finishes fourth in the Bridge swim race. Braun is from Idaho and the 11-mile race is his longest to date.
Kelly Wolffe celebrates her completion of the Portland Bridge swim.
Kelsey Kinderknecht (left) and Kelly Wolffe (right) embrace at the Cathedral Park finish line. They started swimming in Seattle during their time in grad school and continue the tradition together.
Portland Bridge Swim founder Marisa Frieder (left) and first place swimmer Ilsa Feierabend (right) share a moment together at the finish line in Cathedral Park.
— David Nuñez covers breaking news and public safety for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-294-7607 or dnunez@oregonian.com.
Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.