Chicago River Swim returns to the city after almost a century
Swimmers will dive into the Chicago River next month for the first open water swim in 98 years.
The Chicago River Swim, slated for Sept. 21, is expected to include 500 swimmers, raise funds for ALS research and youth swimming education programs and highlight efforts to improve the environment in the city.
Swimmers will be able to opt for a one-mile or two-mile route down the main stem of the river, starting at the Dearborn Street Bridge and ending at Clark Street Bridge. The swim starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m. Along the Riverwalk between Lake Street and Clark Street, spectators will be able to watch the swim.
A Long Swim, a Barrington-based organization, is hosting the event, which will benefit ALS research at Northwestern University and swim safety education for children in Chicago. Doug McConnell, founder of the organization, said being able to celebrate the city with the swim is “stuff you dream about.”
“This is a victory lap for the city of Chicago,” McConnell said Thursday.
The fundraising event was going to be held in 2024, but organizers announced the event before they secured the permits to do so. When the permits were denied, the event was moved to Lake Michigan.
The organization's permit for the event this year was approved by the city, but it had not yet been issued late Thursday, they said. The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the event.
The group is also partnering with the USA Swimming Foundation, and U.S. Olympic swimmer Natalie Hinds will be the featured athlete of the event.
Organizers will have a water quality and safety program in place to monitor real-time water quality statistics. Additionally, over 100 safety personnel will be monitoring the swim for kayaks, paddle boards and boats on the river.
“It demonstrates that Chicago believes it’s a place where people should be in the water, which is more important now than ever,” said Margaret Frisbe, executive director of Friends of the Chicago River. “The water is safe to swim in, there has been a cumulative impact of investment and work done by many partners over decades.”
Autonomous buoys, GPS surveillance and in-water timing systems will be in place to ensure the safety of the swimmers. The course will be closed to all vessels and Riverwalk access will be limited to specific areas.
Applications for the 2025 Chicago River Swim are currently open to the public through Aug. 11. There is no fee to apply, but swimmers are expected to fundraise $1,250 to $1,750. More information is available on the Chicago River Swim website.