So one of our LOSTies, John Stibrany, just did his longest race ever and loved it!
He wrote me a little race summary below and sent some pics too! The race was the “Swim Around Lido Key”… not dissimilar from, probably my favorite race ever, which was “Swim Around Key West”… sounds like I, and I bet the rest of you, would really enjoy it too!
PS. John has also donated a ton of swag for the LOST Race too! Gotta love the generosity of LOSTies! Thanks John!
Cheers,
Rob
Hi Rob
Lido Key is a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, Florida. I attended this U.S. Masters event last weekend hosted by “Swim without Limits”. A total of 67 solo swimmers and 27 relays teams competed that day. The relay teams were made up of 2 swimmers who would rotate between kayaking and swimming the course. Swimmers came from 16 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
The race was a 7 mile (11.3km) loop around the island of Lido Key. All solo swimmers were provided with a kayak escort which provided navigation and nutrition during the race. Kayakers were volunteers provided by the event organizers. Many were retired residents who lived in the area during the winter months. 
The race was won by 50 year old Ricardo Valdivia of Miami who completed the course in 2:27:47. The ages of the swimmers ranged from 16 to 66 with a third of all the solo swimmers over 50 years of age; myself included. Like the L.O.S.T. Race, swimmers were given a medal as soon as they exited the water at the completion of the race.
Conditions were perfect for the race day. Clear skies with warm water in the high 70’s. The most difficult portion of the race was the last mile where you were battling currents to the finish of the race. After the race, food and beer was provided to all swimmers and Kayakers. Trophies were handed out to the top 5 males and females, and the top 5 relay finishers.
It’s an event I’ll probably swim again next year; it was very well organized. Soft sand beaches, shopping and fine dining are all with a short walk from Lido Beach. It’s actually a good family destination with all there is to see and do in the area. The organizers were already talking about adding more distance options for 2016.
Cheers,
John