Woman Finishes Quest To Swim Entire Length Of Allegheny River

An Ohio woman on Thursday finished her quest to swim the 325-mile Allegheny River when she arrived in Pittsburgh, where the river joins the Monongahela to form the Ohio River.

Katie Spotz, 21, of Mentor, Ohio, spent the night at a friend’s house in Fox Chapel before returning to the water Thursday morning near the 16th Street Bridge. She began her quest July 25 in Raymond, a tiny town in north central Pennsylvania where the river is not deep enough to swim in. She walked 16 miles to Coudersport where the river deepens and began swimming there.

The Allegheny River is 325 miles long and flows northwest into New York State before turning southwest toward Pittsburgh.

During her trip, Spotz swam about 10 to 15 miles a day with a friend following behind in a kayak.

Spotz swam to raise money and awareness for Blue Planet Run Foundation, whose goal is to bring clean drinking water to the estimated one billion people worldwide who lack it.

Previous Stories: August 18, 2008: Ohio Woman Swimming Entire Length Of Allegheny River