ATHLETE SELECTIONS ARE NOW IN PROCESS
Beginning Monday, May 11, selected applicants will be notified via email. To secure their spot, individuals must complete registration and confirm participation within 72 hours of notification.
Applicants who are not initially selected will automatically be placed on the event Waitlist. Any selected participant who does not complete registration within the 72-hour window will forfeit their position, which will then be offered to the next individual on the Waitlist. This rolling process will continue until the full field of 500 swimmers is confirmed and may extend for several weeks.
Registration Deadline
POST CLOSE ACCESS
A limited number of entries have been reserved for programs aligned with our event's core values and partnership with the City of Chicago. Qualified applicants from under-represented communities (see graphic), international locations, and partner organizations may be eligible for late entry or waitlist consideration. Click below for details.
2025 Event Recap
2025 Event Impact
See the metrics behind the inaugural Chicago River Swim
2025 Media Coverage
Witness what 3 billion media impressions looks like!
2025 Participant Results
Search the list of award winners and participants alike
2025 Event Photos
View the Chicago River Swim for yourself
2025 CHICAGO RIVER SWIM HYPE VIDEO
HOW'S THE WATER QUALITY?
Have a look at the most recent qPCR water quality results by location within the Swim Course (along each bridge).
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN
Applications for CRS launched Tuesday, March 31 and remain open through Friday, May 8. All participants must have previous open water experience and agree to several requirements. Capacity is limited to 500 participants. Selected names will be announnced on May 11.
THE SWIM COURSE
From Marina Towers to the Wolf Point confluence, check out the swim course that will make history this September.
— 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.
Proud Partners
