The monuments of open water swimming
Open water swimming has its monument races: sea, lake and river swims that towns and clubs have organised for generations. This page gathers the oldest events on our calendar: every race here held its first edition by 1975, the oldest are past their hundredth year, and all of them are still being swum. They are ordered by year of birth, oldest first, with the date of the next edition, the distances on the programme and a line of history for each — who founded them, which waters they cross, what stopped them for years and what brought them back.
Each year is the year of the first documented edition — period newspapers, club archives, local records. The edition number tells a different story: it counts only the editions actually held, and many of these races were stopped for years by wars or pandemics.
Swum in the canal Royal, between the sea and the étang de Thau, during the Saint-Louis festival, in whichever direction the current decides. The club traces it to 1900, the newspapers wrote about it from 1908; in 1922 it opened to women.
From the pontoon at Damme to the centre of Bruges, along the Damse Vaart canal; thirteen swimmers took the first start in 1910. The hundredth, this year, was stopped by algae.
The oldest marathon swim on the Adriatic crosses the Vinodol channel from the island of Krk to Crikvenica, every year on Assumption Day.
- 41916110 yearsLXXII Musel - GijónGijón, Spain
The first was in 1916: five swimmers off a boat in El Musel harbour, and the German Siemens delegate won. Today it is 4,500 metres across the bay of Gijón, after long pauses in its history.
last editionAug 15, 20264.5kmSea - 51925101 yearsXCIX Port de TarragonaTarragona, Spain
Swum inside the harbour during the Santa Tecla festival, and it is the oldest crossing in Spain.
Sep 26, 20261km · 2kmSea - 61926100 yearsLXXIII Travessia Sitges 2026Sitges, Spain
Three events finishing on Fragata beach; the first was swum in 1926, but it is since 1949 that it hasn't missed a year.
last editionAug 3, 2025200m · 800m · 2.2kmSea - 71926100 years61. Internationales SundschwimmenStralsund, Germany
The 2,315 metres of the Strelasund, from Altefähr to Stralsund: first swum in 1926, reborn in 1965; there are 1,070 places, and not one more.
last editionJul 4, 20262.3kmSea - 81926100 years98ª Travessia Port de BarcelonaBarcelona, Spain
Inside the harbour, during the Mercè festival; in a century it has stopped only for the civil war and the pandemic.
Oct 3, 20261km · 2.5km · 5kmSea - 9192799 yearsCross Bay SwimBrightwaters, United States
Almost nine kilometres across Great South Bay, from the Fire Island Lighthouse to the beach at Brightwaters, with a hard cap on entries.
last editionJul 31, 20268.851kmSea - 10192898 years99th Annual Goguac Lake SwimBattle Creek, United States
A mile in Battle Creek's lake for almost a century now; these days the proceeds pay for adaptive swimming.
last editionAug 8, 2026183m · 750m · 1.851kmLake - 11193096 years56. Travesía del Paseo NuevoSan Sebastián, Spain
Its name has tracked Spain's history: Paseo del Príncipe in 1930, de la República in '31, halted by the civil war, then other names again. Today it is 2,959 metres outside the bay, from Zurriola to Ondarreta.
last editionAug 15, 2026650m · 2.959kmSea - 12193195 yearsLXXV Travessia Badalona Nedant 2026Badalona, Spain
Swum along the Badalona seafront since 1931; industrial pollution stopped it for twenty years, then the sea became swimmable again and the race returned with it.
last editionJul 19, 20261km · 2.4km · 3.2kmSea - 13193294 yearsTraversata del Lago di Lugano 2026Lugano, Switzerland
It crosses Lake Lugano shore to shore, 2.5 kilometres; first-timers can swim 250 metres with a tutor at their side.
last editionAug 16, 2026250m · 2.5kmLake - 14193294 years90a Travessia al Port de SalouSalou, Spain
Run by the Reus Ploms club since the beginning, every 11 September, finishing on Ponent beach; the first to swim the harbour, alone, was Antoni Gispert in 1921.
last editionSep 11, 20261.55km · 2.15kmSea - 15193393 yearsTraversée du lac d'AnnecyAnnecy, France
The crossing of Lake Annecy, whose 10 km has counted towards the French Cup since 2008.
last editionAug 15, 20262.4km · 5km · 10kmLake - 16193492 yearsTravesía Club Deportivo BilbaoBilbao, Spain
Born in the Abra in 1934, it has changed waters several times — Lekeitio, Ereaga, Plentzia, the ría in front of the Guggenheim — and today it is swum in Gorliz bay.
last editionJun 6, 20261.5km · 3kmRiver - 17193492 yearsWuhan Yangtze River CrossingWuhan, China
Races have crossed the Yangtze since 1934; today's festival remembers Mao's swim of 16 July 1966.
Jul 16, 20271.8kmRiver - 18193591 years85 Enseada de San AmaroA Coruña, Spain
The first was swum in September 1935; the civil war stopped the series at once and the second only came in 1939. It is swum in the San Amaro cove, free and open to unlicensed swimmers too.
last editionAug 30, 20261.2kmSea - 19193888 years89ª GEN RosesRoses, Spain
Among the crossings still on the calendar it is Catalonia's fourth oldest; the swim starts and finishes on La Perola beach.
last editionAug 9, 2026250m · 1km · 2kmSea - 20194185 yearsLXXXV Puerto de MotrilMotril, Spain
Since 1941 swimmers have entered the port of Motril from Playa de Poniente: about 2,500 metres, and the 2024 edition set the record with over 300 swimmers, from juniors to masters.
last editionAug 15, 20261.6kmSea - 21194383 yearsTravesia Subida al Peñote (CUENCA)Cuenca, Spain
Two thousand metres in the Júcar around the Peñote rock, half of the course against the current; it is the heart of the San Julián festival.
last editionJul 25, 2026400m · 2kmRiver - 22194383 yearsLXXXII Travesía a nado al Puerto de CeutaCeuta, Spain
Born in 1943, it is Spain's fourth oldest: swum on 5 August for the Virgen de África, diving into the harbour at the cannon shot. The organising club is three years younger than the race.
last editionAug 5, 20262.5kmSea - 23194383 years82. Kontxa Badiako IgerialdiaSan Sebastián, Spain
Swum since 1943 in the Basque Country's most celebrated bay: a 2,220-metre loop starting and finishing at the Náutico jetty, last leg of the Gipuzkoa league and close of the season.
last editionSep 12, 2026350m · 740m · 2kmSea - 24194482 years82a TRAVESSIA DE L'ESTANY DE BANYOLESBanyoles, Spain
It links the two shores of the lake that hosted the Olympic rowing in 1992: 2,115 metres, and around two thousand entrants each year.
Sep 20, 2026400m · 1km · 2.115kmLake - 25194581 years60. Zürcher LimmatschwimmenZürich, Switzerland
Two kilometres down the Limmat through the middle of Zurich, clothes packed in a drybag. It vanished and came back twice, and now closes at 4,500 entries.
last editionAug 15, 20262kmRiver - 26194977 yearsCoppa ByronLerici, Italy
Seven kilometres of the Gulf of Poets, from Portovenere to the Hotel Shelley in Lerici, along the route that legend — born of an 1877 plaque — attributes to Byron; the actual race dates from 1949.
last editionAug 9, 2026Sea - 27195076 yearsVansbrosimningenVansbro, Sweden
Thousands swim down the Vanån to where it meets the Västerdalälven: it is Sweden's great swimming party.
Jul 10, 20273kmRiver - 28195274 yearsTraversée Rives Ripaille 2026 — ThononThonon-les-Bains, France
It was devised in 1952 by René Robert, director of Thonon's municipal beach; since 1999 its 5 km in Lake Geneva has been a French Cup stage.
last editionJul 19, 20261km · 2.5km · 5kmLake - 29195373 yearsTour du RocGranville, France
The loop around Granville's Pointe du Roc, five kilometres of English Channel counting towards the French Cup; Max Avenel and Jean Fichepoil drew it up in 1953.
last editionJul 11, 20261km · 4km · 5kmSea - 30195472 yearsTraversata dello StrettoMessina/Villa San Giovanni, Italy
The classic of the Strait of Messina, from Punta Faro over to Villa San Giovanni.
last editionAug 2, 20265.2kmSea - 31195472 yearsCapri-Napoli MarathonNapoli, Italy
Thirty-six kilometres of gulf from the island of Capri to Naples, with the marathon elite and an event open to everyone.
last editionSep 5, 202636kmSea - 32195571 years62e Traversée Internationale du Lac St-Jean 32kmRoberval, Canada
Thirty-two kilometres from one shore of Lac Saint-Jean to the other; Québec has built a whole open water festival around it.
last editionJul 25, 202632kmLake - 33196165 years66ª Travesía a Nado del Puerto de MálagaMálaga, Spain
It opens the Feria de Málaga every August, straight across the harbour.
last editionAug 9, 20261kmSea - 34196759 years55a Travesía Illes Medes - EstartitL'Estartit, Spain
A boat takes you out to the Medes Islands and you swim back to L'Estartit; stopped for seven years, it returned in 2025.
last editionJun 28, 20262km · 3.5kmSea - 35197056 years55. Neuburg Donauschwimmen 2026Neuburg an der Donau, Germany
On the last Saturday of January you float four kilometres down the Danube, in wetsuits and often in fancy dress; eight people started it as a joke in 1970.
last editionJan 31, 20264kmRiver - 36197155 years56th International swimming cross of Toroneos GulfNikiti, Greece
Twenty-six kilometres between two fingers of Halkidiki, from the start at Kallithea to the beach at Nikiti.
last editionJul 25, 202626kmSea - 37197254 years53° Nutata longaFano, Italy
A nautical mile in a straight line off Fano, since 1972; for twenty-two editions it was strictly an amateurs' affair.
last editionAug 2, 20261.852km · 5kmSea - 38197353 years54ª Travesía Dique Barrié de la Maza 2026A Coruña, Spain
Swum in the harbour, in the shelter of the Barrié de la Maza breakwater, every 25 July — Galicia Day.
last editionJul 25, 20261.2km · 3.5kmSea - 39197353 years54ª Traversata del Lago di ViveroneViverone, Italy
It crosses Lake Viverone, 3,750 metres, and is open to swimmers of every level.
last editionAug 1, 20263.75kmLake - 40197353 years54. Plivački maraton Preko–ZadarPreko, Croatia
From the island of Ugljan you aim for the Zadar waterfront, 4,600 metres of channel with escort boats alongside; the first time, in 1973, thirteen swimmers showed up.
last editionAug 5, 20264.6kmSea - 41197452 years53rd aQuellé Midmar MileHowick, South Africa
A mile in Midmar Dam, KwaZulu-Natal; thousands swim it, seeded into heats over several days.
Feb 13, 20271.609kmLake - 42197551 yearsCavi Sestri Open Water SwimmingSestri Levante, Italy
From Cavi di Lavagna to the beach at Sestri Levante, over 1.5 or 3 kilometres; federated and open swimmers race in separate rankings.
last editionMay 31, 20261.5km · 3kmSea
