A Long Swim
About this race
Along the shores of Lake Michigan, A Long Swim includes distances for all swimmers from beginners to advanced. Safety provided by lifeguards and boats throughout the course. Loops keep the guards close by at every turn.
Chicago River Swim 2027 Qualifier!! Looking to up your game and join A Long Swim at the Chicago River Swim in September 2027? Finishing the 1.2, 2.4 and 5K distances qualify you to apply for the Chicago River Swim in 2027.
A Long Swim is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Chicago, Illinois that designs and manages open water swimming events raising funds for ALS collaborative world-class research.
Every registration includes: A Long Swim Swag ( Short Sleeve Exclusive A Long Swim Shirt), branded race swim cap, breakfast, and a good time.
Professionally timed and distances offered:
5K
2.4 miles
1.2 miles
1500 meters
750 meters
Fundraising Opportunities: Everyone has a chance to fundraise. Those raising $500 will receive a A Long Swim Stanley 30 ounce tumbler. Raising $1000 will receive a Speedo A Long Swim Backpack and raising $2000 all the goodies and an A Long Swim custom Kijaro fold-up bag chair.
A Long Swim - RACE DAY DETAILS
Swimmer Check -in
Check-in for all pre-registered swimmers and event day registration will begin at Tower Road Beach at 6:00 a.m. You will receive your timing chip, body marking, official swim cap, and A Long Swim Swag.
Event Day Registration
A $15 premium will be added to anyone registering event day morning. Check, Cash, or Credit Card will be accepted.
Wetsuits
Wetsuits are welcome. Anything that will keep you happy in the water is fine with us!
Conditions: You are swimming in Lake Michigan and conditions can change hourly. Update on temperature and conditions will be sent out 24 hours prior to the event.
Parking: Free parking is available at Lloyd Park (799 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois 60093) just south of Tower Road Beach (899 Sheridan Road, Winnetka, Illinois 60093).
A shuttle bus will drive swimmers, spectators, staff and volunteers from Lloyd Park to Tower Road Park. If Lloyd Park lots are full, overflow parking is at the Winnetka Metra Station Lot on the corner of Elm Street and Green Bag Road. The shuttle will also operate at this location.
Spectators: This is a great event to spectate. Many laps to cheer on your swimmer. Plus a great beach to hang out in.
Pick your distance
Swimming
5K Swim
The pre race safety talk for the 5K will start at 6:25 a.m.
2.4 Mile Swim
The pre race safety talk will start at 6:55 a.m.
1.2 Mile Swim
The pre race safety talk will start at 7:15 a.m.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 7 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Winnetka, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:52 AM and sets at 8:00 PM local time (CDT) in Winnetka on August 9, 2026 — 14h 07m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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2026 results — A Long Swim
106 finishers across 3 distances · leading places in the 5K Swim
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian Vanderkaay | 56:43 | 18:18 /mi |
| 2 | Sienna Bone | 59:36 | 19:14 /mi |
| 3 | Lucy Bolling | 59:53 | 19:19 /mi |
| 4 | Chris Robb | 1:05:47 | 21:13 /mi |
| 5 | Joshua Garate | 1:05:48 | 21:14 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Winnetka
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Winnetka Turkey Trot 2025
Glenview Gobbler 5K Run/Walk and Dash
Valiant PT Holiday Cross Country Race & Reunion
Train Up 5K and Fun Run
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 4 Winnetka events
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