A kaleidoscope of colors came to life in the Florida Keys this weekend when hundreds of swimmers put their stamina to the ultimate test — all in the name of giving back.
The turquoise waters off the Florida Keys were 88 degrees when more than 300 swimmers from the United States and other countries, began an 8-mile, roundtrip open water swim to a historic, and very beloved lighthouse.
The solo and relay swimmers were accompanied by support kayakers, who provided navigation, hydration and real-time support during the race as they swam out 4-miles from the shoreline in Islamorada to the historic Alligator Lighthouse and turned around to swim 4-miles back. The event raises funds for the restoration of the nearly 152-year-old lighthouse.
Swim for Alligator Lighthouse was founded after Florida Keys Artist, Larry Herlth, known locally as “Lighthouse Larry,” made the daring swim to the lighthouse in 2012, to bring awareness to its crumbling condition.
His bold swim and incredible artistry inspired the launch of the annual lighthouse swim in 2013 — an event that both celebrates open water swimming and supports restoration and scholarships.
For the second year in a row, Maximiliano Paccot, 29, emerged from the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday as the fastest individual swimmer at the 2025 Swim for Alligator Lighthouse. His winning time of 2 hours, 52 minutes and 18 seconds — beat his prior years time by 18 minutes and set a new course record. Originally from Uruguay, Paccot came to the United States on a World Aquatics sponsorship and has competed in open-water swims around the world.
The top female finisher went to Layne Smith, 17, of Islamorada, Florida, who captured the slot with a time of 3:39:51.
The 2-person Male Relay team of Thomas Culliton, 39, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Ciro Sauaia, 38, of Miami, Florida finished with a winning time of 3:40:18.
The 2-person Female Relay Team of Haley Thaning, 28, of Casselberry, Florida and Cadie Crow, 29, of Woodstock, Georgia finished with a winning time of 3:50:58.
Return racers, Maggie Owens, 34, of Clearwater, Florida and Connor Signorin, 33, of Tampa, won the 2-person Mixed Relay; shaving 4 seconds off last year’s time to come in at 3:58:09.
Alligator Reef takes its name from the USS Alligator, a U.S. Navy schooner that ran aground there in 1822 and was intentionally sunk to prevent capture by pirates. To protect ships from the same fate, the Alligator Reef Light, an iron screw-pile lighthouse, was built in 1873 near Indian Key. Rising 136 feet above the reef, it warned sailors away from the treacherous shallows for more than a century before being deactivated in 2015. Today, its skeletal frame still stands as one of the most iconic structures in the Keys, a symbol of both maritime history and preservation efforts.
To learn more about the swim and which causes it benefits, visit swimalligatorlight.com.
For full race results, click here.
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