The Kastellorizo-Kaş swim (,) is an international cross-border

open water swimming Open water swimming is a swimming discipline which takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, lakes, and rivers. Competitive open water swimming is governed by the International Swimming Federation, World Aquatics (formerly kno ...

competition between the Greek island of

Kastellorizo Kastellorizo or Castellorizo ( ; ), officially Megisti (), is a Greek island and municipality of the Dodecanese in the Eastern Mediterranean.Bertarelli, 131 It lies roughly off the south coast of Turkey, about southeast of Athens and east of R ...

or Megisti () and the village of

Kaş Kaş () is a small fishing, diving, yachting and tourist town, and a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Antalya Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,750 km2, and its population is 62,866 (2022). It is 168 km west of the city ...

() in the county of

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

(). It has been held since 2005 annually in June to promote the friendship between the two neighboring countries. The swimming competition is part of the International

Lycia Lycia (; Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; , ; ) was a historical region in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is today the provinces of Antalya and Muğ ...

-Kaş Culture and Art Festival, which ls being held since late 1990s. The distance of the course in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

is . The race begins at the Kastellorizo harbour and ends in the harbour of Antifellos. Participants must be at least 18 years of age, and must be able to swim 1,500 m in less than 30 minutes. The competitors undergo a health examination administered by a physician before the event. In 2019, 180 swimmers from 12 nations, including 33 women, took part in the competition. The course record was set in 2019 by the Turkish 20-year-old woman

Nilay Erkal Nilay Erkal (born 1 February 1999) is a Turkish long-distance swimmer. She is a member of Galatasaray Athletics. She is also studying in Pharmacy School at Yeditepe University. Nilay Erkal was born in Denizli, Turkey in 1999. She started swimm ...

with a time of 1 hour and 32 minutes, who improved her own record by five minutes, and was the winner of the competition in the last three years.

References

External links

Official website "Meis Kaş Yarışı" (in Turkish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kastellorizo-Kas Swim Open water swimming competitions Cross-border races Greece–Turkey relations 2005 establishments in Greece 2005 establishments in Turkey Sports organizations established in 2005 June observances Annual sporting events in Greece Annual sporting events in Turkey Swimming competitions in Greece Swimming competitions in Turkey Kastellorizo Kaş District Sport in Antalya Mediterranean Sea