There are 10 marathon sanctioning organizations in the United States and approximately 20 in other countries around the world. In my opinion, it would be advantageous for these 30 sanctioning organizations to unify our sport for the following reasons:
First, our sport becomes more robust if our rules are consistent and well defined. It gives us one loud voice saying the same thing verses many soft voices differing on what qualifies as a marathon swim. Secondly, when a swim takes place in a non-governed area, a united organization could either bless the swim as having been done according to internationally recognized rules or declare it a “non-swim” or an “assisted swim”. Thirdly, everyone would play by the same set of rules which mean less people will be interpreting or making up rules for themselves. Finally, we make it easier for the outside world to understand the difference between a marathon swim verses an assisted endeavor or incomplete swim.