Chicago River Swim
Chicago River Swim logo

Chicago River Swim

Chicago, Illinois, United States View on map
Sep 20, 2026 (America/Chicago local time)
Swimming

About this race

The Chicago River Swim is the signature event of A Long Swim, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that raises funds for ALS collaborative research through Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and local youth learn-to-swim programs. The event is made possible through the support of dozens of local and federal agencies, area businesses, and the entire Chicago community.

Pick your distance

Swimming

2-Mile Swim Application

The Chicago River Swim will offer athletes a once-in-a-lifetime experience to swim among Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and under its iconic bridges.

Sep 20, 2026 3.2K 7:00 AM
Free
Closed

1-Mile Swim Application

The Chicago River Swim will offer athletes a once-in-a-lifetime experience to swim among Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and under its iconic bridges.

Sep 20, 2026 1.6K 7:00 AM
Free
Closed

2-Mile Swim

Selected participants of the inaugural 2025 Chicago River Swim will soon swim among Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and under its iconic bridges.

Sep 20, 2026 3.2K 7:00 AM
$120.00
Closed

1-Mile Swim

Selected participants of the inaugural 2025 Chicago River Swim will soon swim among Chicago’s famous skyscrapers and under its iconic bridges.

Sep 20, 2026 1.6K 7:00 AM
$120.00
Closed

Typical race-day weather

Based on 8 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Chicago, plus the 3 days either side.

Temp (°C)
Minimum temperature (race-week average) 16.2° / Maximum temperature (race-week average) 22.6°
Feels Like (°C)
Minimum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 16.1° / Maximum feels like — heat index / wind chill (race-week average) 23.2°
Peak wind (km/h)
Strongest wind of the day (race-week average)
20.4
Precip (mm)
Precipitation over the day (race-week average)
5.4mm
Humidity
Mean relative humidity (race-week average)
75.8%
Sunrise
Sunrise at the start line on September 20, 2026 (CDT)
Sunset
Sunset at the start line on September 20, 2026 (CDT)
Daylight
Hours between sunrise and sunset on race day
12h 15m

The sun rises at 6:36 AM and sets at 6:51 PM local time (CDT) in Chicago on September 20, 2026 — 12h 15m 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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Results — Chicago River Swim

2025 edition View Results
2024 edition View Results

Other races near Chicago

Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months

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, 147 Chicago events

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