Open Water Luján

The venue provides completely still open water with zero river current. Open Water Luján is an open water swimming race held in a tranquil lake at Awass Beach Club – Surf Village, located in Luján in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Swimmers accustomed to the unruly currents and tides of wider river deltas discover here an enclosed, mirror-like basin where pace and rhythm can be calibrated with absolute precision. The aquatic arena is a former quarry basin that has found second life as a vibrant recreation and watersports venue. Sheltered from heavy river chop and entirely removed from natural waterflow, the basin maintains current-free water from shore to shore, letting competitors focus entirely on stroke rate and pacing. Course measurements align closely with the natural contours of the flooded basin, with buoy lines traced along the perimeter to shape a clean, expansive circuit.

Open Water Luján: four laps and team relays

Organized by Open Water Adventures (OWA), the event takes place in December and features courses of 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 metres. Swimmers navigate a structured loop marked out across the lake: a single circuit completes the 2,000-metre race, two circuits form the 4,000-metre test, while the 8,000-metre distance requires four full circuits around the buoys. The 8,000-metre marathon forms part of the competitive Grand Prix ranking, testing the tactical resilience of long-distance specialists. In a distinctive setup, participants who register simultaneously for both the 8 km and 4 km events receive an official time for their initial 4 km passage before continuing out across the water to finish the full 8 km, earning two separate competitive classifications from one single swim.

Safety protocol on the marked loop mandates an individual tow float for every swimmer, and regular passage checkpoints record each completed lap. Neoprene is discretionary: wetsuits are optional on all race courses, with swimmers who choose to wear them competing in a dedicated neoprene division. For younger competitors, a non-competitive 200-metre Kids race welcomes children into open-water swimming in a supportive, relaxed environment. The 2 km race begins later in the afternoon, followed directly by the 200-metre children's swim. The day culminates in the fast-paced OWA Relay, an invitational 4x50 m challenge reserved for the six clubs with the highest participant numbers. Each mixed four-person relay squad consists of athletes who have already raced during the day, with swimmers sprinting 50 metres before making a mandatory physical tag in the transfer zone to launch their next teammate into the water.

Awass Beach Club and the Basilica of Luján

The lake bank at Awass Beach Club buzzes with energy as teammates and spectators line the waterside perimeter. Crowds follow the long-distance athletes through every turn of their laps, cheering from the shore before the afternoon brings the individual sprint distance, the family-friendly kids swim, and the electric atmosphere of the team relay.

The Bancalari industrial works along the Luján River

Water has driven industry across this countryside for generations, as evidenced about fourteen kilometres from the race venue along the banks of the Luján River. To move materials across the sprawling site, the operators laid out the private Decauville Railway of the Bancalari Mill. The narrow-gauge railway system crossed the main river course atop a purpose-built brick dam and traversed the tributary Arroyo Las Flores over a dedicated steel bridge. The Decauville network also played a critical role in taming the natural temperament of the river by hauling stone to raise a substantial flood protection embankment. Swimmers at Open Water Luján enjoy a serene, protected body of water where lap after lap delivers uncompromised endurance racing.