Mayor Brandon Johnson announced on March 12 that the Chicago River Swim will return this year, expanding to include an additional 500 swimmers. The event is scheduled for Sept. 20 and aims to raise funds for ALS research at Northwestern University as well as support swimming education and water safety programs for youth at the Chicago Park District.
Last year marked the first official river swim in nearly a century, with more than 300 qualified swimmers participating. This year’s event will double the number of participants, with applications for the new spots opening March 31 and closing April 27. Participants will be selected after an eligibility review to ensure they meet established safety and experience requirements, according to a press release.
The swim course will take participants from the Dearborn Street bridge to Wolf Point and back to the Clark Street bridge. Spectators can watch both one- and two-mile swims from the Riverwalk. The return of competitive open-water swimming highlights significant improvements in river health since events were banned in the 1920s due to pollution concerns.
Margaret Frisbie, executive director of Friends of the River, said, “When [Friends of the River] was founded in 1979, the river was fenced off. It was polluted … there was sewage in the water every three days. There was barely any wildlife, seven super-hardy species of fish, and it just wasn’t a place for community and joy. Today we know that the river’s healthier than it’s ever been.”
To ensure swimmer safety, frequent DNA-based testing for microbial pollutants will be conducted by University of Illinois Chicago leading up to race day. The swim will only proceed if water quality meets United States Environmental Protection Agency standards.
