Swim for Grand Traverse Bay
About this race
Celebrate clean, healthy water in Grand Traverse Bay with a unique open water swim event on Saturday, August 8, 2026, to benefit The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, a non-profit that works to protect the bay and its 1,000-square-mile watershed.
Whether you’re a serious swimmer looking for a timed event, a triathlete wanting to practice in open water, a recreational swimmer setting a personal goal for your swimming, or someone passionate about water quality and making a difference locally, the Swim for Grand Traverse Bay is an exciting, challenging, and fun celebration of clean and healthy water in our region.
The Swim for Grand Traverse Bay is a fundraiser for The Watershed Center, a nonprofit that advocates for clean water in Grand Traverse Bay and acts to protect and preserve the bay's watershed. Each swimmer is responsible for raising at least $250, though no fundraising experience is required - we'll support you on your fundraising journey with tools, templates, and tips.
Pick your distance
Swimming
Swim for Grand Traverse Bay
The Swim for Grand Traverse Bay is a fundraiser for The Watershed Center, a nonprofit that advocates for clean water in Grand Traverse Bay and acts to protect and preserve the bay's watershed. Each swimmer is responsible for raising at least $250. There is no fundraising requirement for support paddlers. Once you register for the Swim, you will be directed to create a fundraising profile that can then be shared with friends and family via email, text, social media and other creative endeavors. Your supporters can donate online. You can also fundraise by collecting pledges from your supporters and mailing or delivering them to The Watershed Center. After you register, you'll regularly hear from us with fundraising support to keep you on track and help you hit your goal. FUNDRAISING POLICY The minimum fundraising requirement of $250 is due in full on August 6, 2026, prior to participating in the event. If the $250 requirement has not been raised by that date, you will have the option to withdraw from the Swim (no registration or donation refunds will be issued), have the outstanding balance charged to your credit card, or write a check.
Paddle sports
Support Paddler
Kayak Support Paddlers accompany an individual swimmer to carry water, help swimmers stay on course, and provide encouragement. Support paddlers must provide their own kayak, personal floatation device, and paddler.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 7 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Traverse City, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:36 AM and sets at 8:59 PM local time (EDT) in Traverse City on August 8, 2026 — 14h 22m 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 — Swim for Grand Traverse Bay
Swim for Grand Traverse Bay · 91 finishers
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Landon Morgan | 47:02 | 23:31 /mi |
| 2 | Patrick Hendley | 47:06 | 23:33 /mi |
| 3 | Daniel Snyder | 50:43 | 25:22 /mi |
| 4 | James Webster | 52:36 | 26:18 /mi |
| 5 | Juliette-Marie deSousa | 53:05 | 26:32 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Traverse City
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
TCTC Jingle Bell Run
Farmland 5K, 10K, & Kid's Race
Iceman Cometh Challenge
Up North Media Traverse City Turkey Trot
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, 29 Traverse City events
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