From Voorheesville’s pool to the English Channel: Lars Durban earns Triple Crown

— Photo from Chris Durban

Eric and Lars Durban celebrate in the White Horse Pub, the oldest pub in Dover, built in the 1300s, after Lars completed his swim across the English channel. Successful Channel swimmers get to sign the wall.

To the Editor:

My two younger brothers, Eric and Lars Durban, now retired, are avid open-water swimmers. Both competed for the Voorheesville swim team in high school.

This past Saturday, Lars completed a successful Channel crossing in 14 hours and 5 minutes (Eric did it last year), which means they are now the second and third oldest Triple Crown swimmers in the world (inspirational for those guys who write their column up on the mountain?)

Triple Crown means successfully swimming the Catalina Channel off California, the English Channel, and Manhattan Island Marathon (circumnavigating the island). 

Both Eric and Lars are back in the United States now, on the West Coast. I’m based in France but traveled over to accompany Lars (me on boat!) and help with feed support. 

It was an adventure.

Chris Durban

Paris

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