Science & Nature
Chicago River Swim Will Move to Lake Michigan as Organizers Aim to Build Momentum for 2025 River Event
A swim event that had been announced for the Chicago River will now take place in Lake Michigan. (umdash9 / iStock)
A month after officials denied a permit for what had been billed as a historic swimming event in the Chicago River, organizers have changed course and accepted the city’s suggestion of taking the plunge in Lake Michigan instead.
“It’s not the river, but it will certainly be special,” organizers said.
The Chicago River Swim was announced in April by Doug McConnell, CEO and founder of A Long Swim, who promoted the event as a fundraiser for ALS research. The plan was for 500 experienced open-water swimmers to tackle either a 1-mile or 2-mile course along the Chicago Riverwalk.
It was the second time McConnell had proposed a river swim. He pulled the plug on a similar concept in 2019 — the 2.4-mile course would have run from Ping Tom Park on the South Branch to the Chicago Riverwalk near the Clark Street Bridge.
On both occasions, McConnell ran up against a wall of bureaucracy, as well as safety concerns.
The switch to the lake allows McConnell to pilot the event and pave the way for a potential river swim in 2025.
“We had high hopes of swimming in the river this year, but we quickly learned the challenges involved in organizing a new event of this scale,” McConnell said in a statement Monday. “The city has worked with us to find a solution that allows the event to move forward, and we’re using this opportunity to build momentum and refine our approach.”
The new swim route, pending lake conditions, will start at Ohio Street beach and run parallel to the Lakefront Trail/DuSable Lake Shore Drive. But before the swim gets underway at 8 a.m. Sept. 22, participants will board boats at the Riverwalk for a “symbolic journey along the Chicago River,” according to organizers.
The proposed lake swim course, pending swimming conditions, for the planned Sept. 22 open-water event.(Courtesy of Chicago River Swim)
Nearly 1,200 people applied to take part in the swim, with 500 selected. The roster included former Olympians, veterans of English Channel swims and triathletes, according to organizers.
Given the change of venue, participants are being given the option to defer to 2025 (when a river swim might become reality) or to have their entry fee refunded.
Friends of the Chicago River, which had supported the river swim, said it was disappointed by the shift to the lake.
A river swim would have demonstrated to the world that the “investments made in clean water and public access have paid off,” the organization said in a statement. “We look forward to working with A Long Swim to make this year’s event a success and to ensure next year that it takes place in the river.”
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
