Chicago River open-water swim to be held for first time in nearly 100 years
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Chicago River will have it's first open water swim in nearly a century later this year.
The swim is set to take place on Sept. 22 and will benefit ALS research and learn-to-swim programs for up to 2,000 local kids.
Organizers say the river is cleaner, and the race is in the "main channel" with water fed directly from Lake Michigan. Plans have been in the works for a swim race in the river for the past decade.
There will be two courses - a half mile and a two-mile from Wolf Point and the State Street Bridge.
At least 300 people have already signed up for the swim.
Doug McConnell, an organizer of the swim, is convinced the perception that the Chicago River is unsafe for swimmers will be like water under the bridge.
"The turnaround in the river has been unimaginable, really in my lifetime, where the bacteria levels are down, and the cleanliness of the water really has gone way up," he said.
The nonprofit organization he helped co-found, called A Long Swim, will host the swim for 500 participants.
It's been a while since the last time the Chicago River hosted swim races.
Back in 1908, the city's most famous swimmers signed up for the first Chicago River Marathon. As the Chicago Tribune put it, the two-mile race "may prove more of a nasal contest than one of muscular endurance."
The stench was one obstacle, but the cold was another.
In 1911, it was barely 60 degrees, so cold that "at least a dozen swimmers were hauled into boats."
The race went on every year until 1930.
This year, the river is ready for another race.
"The water is clean and we can celebrate that all over again," McConnell said.
Additional information, including how to apply for the event, is available at chicagoriverswim.org.
