An Australian marathon swimmer named Linda McGill became the first person to swim all the way around Hong Kong Island in 1976. She completed the 35 kilometer circuit in 12 hours and 10 minutes. The feat made headlines in Hong Kong at a time when long distance open water swimming was still rare for women.
A grueling 12 hour journey through Hong Kong waters
McGill started her swim at 7:30 am on October 17, 1976, from the beach at Repulse Bay on the southern side of the island. She swam clockwise, passing through the busy Victoria Harbour and around the eastern and western ends of the island. Local newspapers reported that she faced strong currents and choppy conditions, especially near the harbour where ferry traffic and cargo ships churned the water. Support crew followed in a boat to guide her and provide food and drink during brief stops.
Why Hong Kong residents took notice
Hong Kong in the 1970s was a bustling British colony where the harbour was the heart of commerce and daily life. Seeing a woman from Australia take on the island's entire coastline captured the public's imagination. The swim was not just a personal challenge. It also highlighted the growing interest in marathon swimming worldwide. McGill was already known for crossing the English Channel and other long distance swims, but this was her first time in Asian waters. Local media covered her preparation and the finish, and she was greeted by a small crowd when she stepped ashore at Repulse Bay just before 8 pm.
The swim around Hong Kong Island has since become a benchmark for local endurance swimmers. But McGill's 1976 circuit remains the first recorded completion of the full route. No one had attempted it before her, and the feat stood as a singular achievement for years. Her success also helped pave the way for more women to take up long distance swimming in the region.
McGill's swim was a straightforward act of endurance in a city defined by water. It showed that a determined person could trace the entire shoreline of a major urban island in a single day. The record still stands as a reminder of how one swimmer's grit can mark a place in local history.
