Kelly Palace Breaks Another Masters World Record at SaddleBrooke Winter Distance Invitational

Courtesy: Mark Palace

Breaking her second Masters world record in the 800 freestyle in the last month — adding the long-course meters record to the short-course meters mark she set at the 17th Rowdy Gaines Masters Classic — Kelly Palace set the record at the 2026 SaddleBrooke Winter Masters Distance Invitational in Oro Valley, Arizona.

Palace swam 10:47.99 in the women’s 65–69 LC 800-meter freestyle, breaking Laura Val’s record of 10:49.60 by leading off the 1500-meter freestyle. Palace shut it down for the last 700 meters and finished the 1500-meter event in 21:24.22.

While Palace’s swim was the only world or national record of the weekend, the meet itself has produced many world and national records in the past since beginning in 2018. The meet continues to grow and draw distance swimmers back year after year.

Hosted by the SaddleBrooke Swim Club, the Winter Masters Distance Invitational has become one of the most beloved distance-focused meets in U.S. Masters Swimming. True to its motto — “Here, Distance Swimmers Are the Main Event” — the meet is built entirely around the sport’s longest races, giving endurance swimmers a rare opportunity to take center stage.

The format is both unique and appealing. On Saturday, swimmers compete in short-course yards events, including the 1650-yard freestyle, 1000-yard freestyle, and 800-yard freestyle relays. On Sunday, the pool is reconfigured to long-course meters for the 1500-meter freestyle and 800-meter freestyle relays. The chance to race both course formats in one weekend is a feature that many swimmers look forward to each year.

There are awards for swimmers willing to take on the full distance challenge. Male and female age-group winners are recognized with commemorative embroidered towels based on the combined time of all three individual events. Swimmers who complete all three races earn the meet’s signature “Conquistador” medal, a badge of honor among returning participants that celebrates the grit required to conquer the weekend’s full slate of distance events. Swimmers who enter all three events also receive a gorgeous meet T-shirt with the desert mountain theme.

Held outdoors at the Oro Valley Aquatic Center, the meet offers swimmers not only fast water but also stunning desert scenery. With sunshine, mountain views, and a welcoming deck atmosphere, the meet blends competitive racing with the camaraderie that defines Masters swimming.

Meet director Larry John, meet referee Rome Yount, and the dedicated volunteers of SaddleBrooke Swim Club once again delivered a well-organized competition that allowed swimmers to focus on racing and enjoying the unique format.

“Every year, swimmers come up and tell me this is their favorite meet,” said meet director Larry John. “Between the beautiful weather, the mountain scenery, and the camaraderie on deck, it’s a special weekend. And since the meet focuses entirely on distance events, it really lets the distance swimmers have their day.

“We always aim for the first weekend in March, so mark your calendar for 2027.”