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— WHAT A DAY!

YOU PERSEVERED,
YOU GOT IT DONE


Congratulations to all finishers for showing-up, enduring the wet conditions and staying committed to making a $200,000 difference in the lives of our community.

— LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE

2024 & 2025 EVENT LINKS

Priority applications have closed. A general application window will open this winter. Exact dates will be unveiled soon.  

— 100 YEARS AGO 

RIVER SWIMS WERE THE BEES KNEES  


The Chicago River's flow was reversed nearly 125 years ago to draw fresh water from Lake Michigan and clean a polluted river.

To celebrate the waterway's drastic turnaround, the Illinois Athletic Association began hosting a series of open water swims back in 1908.

The river swims attracted the highest-profile swimmers in the world, and more than 100,000 spectators lined the shore. The Chicago River Swims were a jewel in the crown of our young, vibrant city.

River Swim History

Founding Partners

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