116. Plivački Maraton Šilo - Crikvenica

On the morning of August 15th, the village of Šilo awakens to the rhythm of local volunteers preparing the departure point for the 116th edition of this marathon. This event, held annually on the feast of the Assumption, draws its significance from a century-old maritime legacy; for decades, Šilo served as the essential link between the island of Krk and the mainland, a role formalized in 1905 when the Krk Skydiving Society launched the steamboat line of the Dinko Vitezić to connect these shores. Swimmers today follow that historic transit, crossing the 3.5 kilometers of the Vinodol Channel—a narrow stretch of water that funnels between the island and the Croatian coastline, narrowing to just 4.6 kilometers at its tightest point.

The water and the view

As you leave the shelter of Stipanja Bay, protected by the cape of the same name, you transition into the main channel. To your left, the coastline near the village of Klimno reveals the rocky features of the Soline Bay, including the islets of Mali Školjić and the Crni rock. These minor geological formations are constant companions for the first leg of your journey, standing in stark contrast to the distant, traditional rural architecture of the settlement of Polje that overlooks the bay from the higher ground. As you push toward the finish in Crikvenica, the Punta Šilo lighthouse remains a visible reference point behind you, its beam designed to guide nocturnal navigation with a 13-kilometer range. Those familiar with the local competitive circuit may find this crossing a distinct experience compared to the Memorijal Veljka Rogošića, which offers a different perspective on the Kvarner waters. The marathon remains open to both experienced long-distance specialists and amateur swimmers who maintain the tradition of connecting these two points on the map every August.

The oldest marathon on the Adriatic

The crossing has been swum since 1910, and the oldest written trace is a poster dated 15 August 1912 announcing an international swimming race at Crikvenica. The date has never moved: the marathon belongs to the feast of the Assumption, the day of Crikvenica's patron saint. Wars interrupted it — both world wars, then the wars of the 1990s — but the course never changed, and the 2026 start list counted close to four hundred swimmers from fourteen countries.