Science & Nature
Chicago River Swim Adds the Big Jump for Participants Who Just Want To Make a Splash
A participant enters the water during the 2025 Chicago River Swim. The Big Jump has been added to the 2026 event for folks prepared to take the plunge but not go the distance. (Linda Barrett / Chicago River Swim)
Organizers have announced an addition to the upcoming open water Chicago River Swim: the Big Jump.
The jump — think cannonball, belly flop or dive — is a way to take part in the river swim celebration without having to go the one- or two-mile distance of the main event.
A limited number of just 100 public slots are available for the jump on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must be 18 years of age or older; the registration fee is $500.
Average folks will take the plunge alongside Olympians, celebrities, elected officials, civic leaders and others as they make a splash on Sept. 18, in advance of the swim on Sept. 20.
“The Chicago River belongs to all of Chicago, and the Big Jump is a powerful way to celebrate how far our city has come,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson, who will serve as the event’s emcee. “For generations, Chicagoans have worked to restore this river and reconnect our communities to it.“
The field for the swim itself has been expanded to 750 qualified swimmers, up from the initial cap of 500 swimmers. Registration has been reopened for individuals who want to tackle the longer challenge.
Proceeds from both the jump and swim events will support ALS research and youth swim education.
The inaugural Chicago River Swim was held in 2025, with 263 people taking part in the first organized open-water swim in the river in 98 years.
The event is the brainchild of marathon swimmer Doug McConnell, who founded the nonprofit A Long Swim with his sister Ellen McConnell Blakeman to raise funds for ALS research after their father died from the disease. Blakeman was later diagnosed with and died from the disease herself.
To date, A Long Swim has raised more than $3.5 million for research.
For both the jump and the swim, water quality will be rigorously monitored, and the events will only proceed if testing confirms that river conditions meet strict safety requirements.
Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]
