The Chicago River Swim has been moved to Lake Michigan, organizers said Monday, a month after the city denied a permit for the open-water swimming event because of safety concerns related to the proposed route and the number of swimmers.
It would have been the first authorized swim in the river in over a century. Now, instead of a loop course between State Street and Wolf Point, it will begin with swimmers taking a “symbolic journey” along the river by boat after which they will navigate a course off Ohio Street Beach in the lake. The event will be held on the same day, Sept. 22.
“We had high hopes of swimming in the river this year, but we quickly learned the challenges involved in organizing a new event of this scale,” Doug McConnell, marathon swimmer and organizer of the Chicago River Swim, said in a news release Monday. “The city has worked with us to find a solution that allows the event to move forward, and we’re using this opportunity to build momentum and refine our approach.”
Experts say the river is — for the most part — the cleanest it has been in a long time, especially since the Clean Water Act of the early 1970s and since the Environmental Protection Agency declared the river safe for swimming in 2011.
The event, established by Chicago-area nonprofit A Long Swim, intends to raise money for ALS research and fund swim lessons for 2,000 kids in underserved local communities. It will include 500 experienced swimmers out of more than 1,100 applicants from 39 states and various countries. Participants include Ironman and Chicago triathletes, former Olympians, and swimmers who have crossed the Amsterdam and English channels.
Those who don’t want to swim anymore are being offered the chance to defer to next year and transfer fundraising credits or to opt out and get back entry fees.
Athletes will board boats at 6:30 a.m., and the swim will begin at 8 a.m. from the beach at 600 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
In the news release, organizers said they had submitted an application to the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events within the required time frame and based it on a safety plan developed over several years with guidance from the U.S. Coast Guard and experts. After the Chicago Department of Transportation denied it, the swim organizers compromised to relocate the event to Lake Michigan, a move they said prioritized the best interests of its participants.
This way, they hope to effectively manage and safely monitor the course to prepare for a swim in the river next year.
In a statement, the nonprofit Friends of the Chicago River said its members are disappointed the swim won’t take place this year in the river, “where it would demonstrate to the world that the investments made in clean water and public access have paid off.”
Swim organizers said maintaining a link to the river is essential, which is why programming will include a boat ride along the Riverwalk toward the lake in the morning.
“This approach honors the event’s origins and offers participants a unique experience that showcases both of Chicago’s two waterfronts,” the news release said. “The venue will retain much of the planned pomp and circumstance, including food and live music. The transition from the river to the lake underscores the ultimate goal: returning to the Chicago River in the future for a historic open-water swim through the heart of the city.”