ENGEngland

Mercedes Gleitze

First British woman across the Channel · 7 October 1927

Born: 18 November 1900
Birthplace: Brighton, England
Died: 9 February 1981
Channel milestone: First British woman to complete a crossing
Featured crossing: France → England · 15h 15m
Other major swim: Strait of Gibraltar · 5 April 1928

Biography

Mercedes Gleitze was an English endurance swimmer, born in Brighton on 18 November 1900. While working as a secretary in London she trained in the Thames, where she set a British women's distance-swimming record in 1923. She later left office work to prepare for a professional swimming career.

On Friday 7 October 1927, after seven unsuccessful attempts, she crossed the English Channel from France to England in 15 hours and 15 minutes. A later attempt to answer doubts about that achievement ended before she reached the opposite shore; it must not be counted as another successful crossing.

Gleitze went on to swim the Strait of Gibraltar in 1928 and undertake endurance events in Britain and overseas. Her swimming earnings helped establish a home for homeless people in Leicester. Her sporting and charitable work has since been recognised by swimming halls of fame and documented by her family.

Selected Channel swim records

First successful Channel crossing by a British woman

Historical account checked

Elapsed swim time · 15h 15m

Duration of the complete swim

Started · Friday, 7 October 1927 · 02:55 · Published historical clock; time zone not specified

Finished · Friday, 7 October 1927 · 18:10 · Published historical clock; time zone not specified

Timing note · The 02:55 and 18:10 clocks are published in Judy Middleton's historical account. Swim England and the family archive corroborate the date and 15h 15m duration. No time-zone offset has been assigned.

Format · Solo · 1-way

Direction · France → England

Departure · Cap Gris-Nez, France

Arrival · Chalk rocks between South Foreland and St Margaret's Bay, England

Conditions · Fog reported in the local historical account.

How this record was checked

The governing-body biography and family archive agree on 7 October 1927 and 15h 15m. The local historian supplies the clocks and landing location. AthRecs has inspected these published accounts, not an original observer report. The later unsuccessful vindication attempt is not an additional completed crossing.

Swim England: Mercedes Gleitze

Checked 2026-10-30

Mercedes Gleitze family archive: career summary

Checked 2026-10-30

Judy Middleton: Mercedes Gleitze local history

Checked 2026-10-30

Other events & swims

Strait of Gibraltar

Open-water swimming · Solo swim

Thursday, 5 April 1928 (event date)

Completed the strait; first person, according to Swim England.

Elapsed time · 12h 50m

Historical account checked

How this event was checked

Swim England’s named biography explicitly gives 5 April 1928 and 12h50m, together with her 1927 English Channel achievement. No original observer certificate inspected.

Swim England: Mercedes Gleitze

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Named career biography links Channel identity to Gibraltar and the dated Worthing endurance swim.

Limitations · Retrospective governing-body biography; original timing sheets were not inspected.

Worthing endurance swim

Pool swimming · Solo swim

Thursday, 18 May 1933 – Saturday, 20 May 1933

Corporation Baths, Worthing, England

Completed a 47-hour pool endurance swim.

Historical account checked

How this event was checked

Swim England names Corporation Baths, Worthing, and explicitly gives the 18–20 May 1933 date interval and duration. This is a pool endurance performance, not an open-water crossing or distance race.

Swim England: Mercedes Gleitze

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Named career biography links Channel identity to Gibraltar and the dated Worthing endurance swim.

Limitations · Retrospective governing-body biography; original timing sheets were not inspected.

Career milestones

Thames swimming record

1923

Set a British women's record over the Putney–Silvertown course in 10h 45m.

English Channel success

7 October 1927

Completed her successful France–England crossing on her eighth formal attempt.

Strait of Gibraltar

5 April 1928

Completed the strait in 12h 50m.

Endurance and charitable work

1933

Reached 47 hours in an endurance swim at Worthing; the Leicester home supported by her swimming earnings opened that year.

Hall of Fame recognition

1969 / 2014

Inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and later the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Recordings & media

Mercedes: The Spirit of a New Age — family archive documentary information

Open media page

Documentary

English Channel questions

Which English Channel swims are included for Mercedes Gleitze?: This profile includes 1 selected solo performance for Mercedes Gleitze. It is a selected history, not a complete career total. A continuous multi-way swim counts as one performance.
When was Mercedes Gleitze’s featured English Channel swim?: The featured swim started on Friday, 7 October 1927 and finished on Friday, 7 October 1927.
How long did Mercedes Gleitze’s featured Channel swim take?: The featured solo crossing has a published elapsed time of 15 hours and 15 minutes.

Biography sources

Reviewed sources

Swim England: Mercedes Gleitze

Open source

Checked 2026-10-31

Supports · Named career biography links Channel identity to Gibraltar and the dated Worthing endurance swim.

Limitations · Retrospective governing-body biography; original timing sheets were not inspected.

International Swimming Hall of Fame: Mercedes Gleitze

Open source

Checked 2026-10-30