Open Water Swim Chicago

This. Right here. ⬇️

Life is good at Ohio Steet Beach! 🏖️ Come play in this 73 degree treasure.

Who’s ready to OWS? 🙌 We’re set for an another beautiful afternoon at Ohio Street Beach. The forecast does offer a chance of rain or thunderstorms. Like our previous sessions, we plan to host a swim as long as the beach remains open and the skies clear of lightning (Note: just like race day, we WILL swim in the rain).

We’ll continue to monitor conditions and share any relevant updates right here. Otherwise, plan for a refreshing dip in 73 degree Lake Michigan!

It’s a warm but beautiful day at the beach. We’re officially ON tonight. Let’s swim, Chicago!

OWS Tuesday. Summer in Chicago. Stormy skies overhead. Deja vu, anyone?

We’ve had many inquires, and want to reiterate tonight’s plan: Much like last month, we’re still planning to host a swim — in some capacity, as long as the beach remains open and the skies clear of lightning.

Plan to attend as usual, unless you see otherwise on this page. We’ll continue to monitor conditions with the Park District and local weather experts.

Thank you!

It may be Friday, but who's ready for Tuesday!? ✋🤚 All registrants for next week's OWS session should see preliminary event details in their inbox. Check it out for full deets. If you're on the fence, don't delay... it's nearing capacity!

This group: All smiles after a nutty start to the season. Congratulations to all who braved the weather and conquered Lake Michigan yesterday! 🌈🌈

WE ARE SWIMMING! We have a clear moment and been approved to hit the water. Come on down to OSB and get wet with us!

We’ll continue to keep an eye on the weather and provide updates accordingly.

UPDATE 3:30 PM: We’re experiencing light rain at Ohio Street Beach, and a potential storm front moving through in the next 20+ minutes. We will delay tonight’s 4:00 PM start for the moment, and advise once this front passes.

At this point, any participant who’s still willing to swim can arrive at any time and merge into the next session start (once we start).

We’ll keep you posted ASAP. Meanwhile, thanks for your patience!

UPDATE: The event team is on-site and continuing to setup for tonight's event. Rain is scheduled to hit the site around 3:30 PM, with possible storms. If needed, we plan to wait-out the weather and delay the start of our first session. We’re making a valiant attempt to swim tonight — assuming it can be done safely.

Please continue to check Facebook for the most recent updates.

🚨 PRICE INCREASE ALERT! 🏊 If you haven't yet committed to our first big session of the season (Tuesday, May 28), save yourself $10 when you commit before 11:59 pm CT tonight!

RSVP ASAP --> https://www.owschicago.com

TWO MORE MONTHS. The OWS season (and warmer water) is fast approaching. Join us on your journey to the deep end at www.owschicago.com

NEXT SEASON IS NEARLY HERE! 🏊 Priority registration into the 2024 OWS season opens tomorrow to registrants (watch for a private email), then to the public on Thursday @ 12pm CT. Details at https://www.owschicago.com

81 MORE DAYS! The 2024 OWS CHICAGO schedule has dropped (schedule below), and weekend sessions are back by popular demand!

#1 Tue, May 28
#2 Sat, June 15
#3 Tue, June 25
#4 Sat, July 13
#5 Tue, July 23
#6 Tue, August 20
#7 TBD

Priority registration opens March 19 to registrants, then to the public March 21 @ 12pm CT. Details at https://www.owschicago.com

ONE MORE SWIM! 🏊 Before the sun sets on the 2023 season, join us next Tuesday (Aug 22) for our final splash and a stellar Chicago Triathlon simulation. Grab a spot ➡️ owschicago.com

Ready for the deep end? Join us tomorrow morning for the final weekend OWS of the season. The is only 22 days away. Get out there!

MAXED OUT! Tomorrow's OWS session at Ohio Street Beach has reached absolute capacity, and is the 3rd consecutive sell-out for our Tuesday night program. Tomorrow is also the final day for Urban Tri Gear on-site wetsuit rentals.

Our final signature OWS session is Tue, Aug 22. With only 1 month until the , remaining spots will go quickly. Don't delay, jump in with us ASAP! Full details + RSVP: owschicago.com

WHO'S READY FOR A WEEKEND SWIM? Our boutique "Pop-Up" Clinics and Swim On Your Own sessions are on deck for tomorrow morning (RAIN or SHINE)! Details and RSVP here --> https://bit.ly/OWS_popup

Oh, hey there! Your technique is looking good. Keep at it. Less than 7 weeks until weekend is here. 🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️

If you're looking for a bit o' swim support, join us this Saturday, July 15 or Tuesday, July 25 (93% sold-out) at Ohio Street Beach. Details 👉 https://bit.ly/OWS_popup

📢 NEW WEEKEND SESSIONS NOW OPEN! Join us Sat, July 15 and Sat, Aug 5 for a more boutique OWS experience (smaller and simpler) compared to the huge Tuesday night sessions.

Weekends feature "Pop-Up" Swim Clinics for beginners and Swim-On-Your-Own options for experienced swimmers. Learn more: https://bit.ly/OWS_popup 🔊

UPDATE: Our friends from Urban Tri Gear have made the magic happen: As of this moment, they WILL have demo wetsuits at tonight’s Open Water Swim!

Kudos to Preston and Devyn for the support!

REMINDER: TODAY'S RESCHEDULED OWS EVENT:

Thanks to the support of our volunteer coaches, our staff, the Chicago Park District Lifeguard team and our partners at Boston Beer Company and Caffe' Oliva, we have been cleared to reschedule this event for this afternoon (Wed, June 28).

Please review your email sent yesterday afternoon from RunSignUp.com with full details.

Tonight's event will operate exactly the same, with sessions beginning at 4:00 PM, 5:15 PM and 6:30 PM.

This make-up event is exclusively for registered participants of the Tuesday, June 27 OWS session. The event remains sold out to the general public.

We recognize the air quality is still at poor levels, and we ask that you make the best decision for yourself. Participants who prefer not to attend may defer to an alternate event (more below).

Those who choose to come are encouraged to check-in for their originally scheduled session. However, we understand the new date may present challenges for some and will accommodate those who need to switch start times in order to attend the event.

Chicago Park District Lifeguards will be on-site and monitor all swimmers during the event.

Unfortunately, rental wetsuits will NOT be available due to the schedule change.

Event staff and coaches will do their best to accommodate all participants and provide a meaningful experience. We are a bit shorthanded but still committed to making this happen.

The Aquathlon will start at 6:00 PM as usual.

A Post-swim Truly Hard Seltzer or Sam Adam's Summer Ale will be provided at Caffe' Oliva thanks to our friends at Boston Beer Company (must be 21).

Registered participants (for the June 27 session) who are unable to attend tomorrow's session will be emailed later this week to be transferred to one of our remaining sessions.

Again, if you plan to attend today's session, nothing is required of you. Simply plan arrive and present your same QR code emailed earlier today. Otherwise, you will be emailed later this week with the event transfer process.

Please reach out to us with immediate questions or concerns. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

TONIGHT'S OWS POSTPONED! After spending some quality time at Ohio Street Beach, consulting with a local meteorologist and exploring options with various agencies, we have made the decision to POSTPONE tonight's Open Water Swim session.

We were optimistic for better conditions, but that didn't happen. The lake swells are reasonable, but poor air quality combined with strong, sustained winds would make for a lousy event experience. Participant safety is paramount to us, and we appreciate your patience as we explored all possible options before terminating the event.

Our team is working to reschedule this event with our staff, coaches and Park District officials ASAP (potentially tomorrow: Wednesday, June 28). We will provide feedback once we know details -- at the least, an update will be sent tomorrow.

Our plan is to defer all participants to:
> This event's new date (TBD)
> Any future OWS CHICAGO Event:
-- Saturday, July 15 (registration not yet open)
-- Tuesday, July 25
-- Saturday, August 5 (registration not yet open)
-- Tuesday, August 22

Details and instructions are forthcoming. Nothing is required of you at this moment. Please reach out to us with immediate questions or concerns, but stay tuned. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

OW SWIMMERS: We continue to monitor beach conditions and work with the Park District on scenarios (ie. shortening the swim course, using shallow beach areas, etc). As of this moment, there are no changes to today's event. We will be on-site at Ohio St. Beach by 12:30pm today and post our next update ASAP. Thank you. More soon!

SWIMMERS: We are aware of the City of Chicago's Beach Hazard Statement potentially impacting Cook County beaches tomorrow (Tuesday).

Given the unpredictable nature of Chicagoland weather, we will not make any weather-related decisions until tomorrow (Tuesday) in conjunction with the Chicago Park District and Chicago Fire Department.

Please keep an eye on this page and our IG account: https://www.instagram.com/owschicago for updates, as well as dedicated email (if necessary).

Basically, stay tuned and keep those fingers crossed!

🚨 IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR TOMORROW’S OWS EVENT! Due to last minute scheduling issues with the Chicago Park District lifeguards, the Saturday, June 24 OWS will now be held from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM. (instead of beginning at 7:00 AM).

Registered participants should reference an email update sent Friday morning, June 23 from Open Water Swim CHICAGO.

Please DM us with questions. Thank you for your patience. 🙏

BIG NEWS! 🤘 After years of requests and big recent demand, we’re thrilled to launch new weekend OWS dates -- starting on Sat, June 24! 🙌

New weekend sessions will offer a more boutique experience, with "Pop-Up" Clinics and Swim On Your Own options. Full details and RSVP here --> https://bit.ly/OWS_popup

Open Water Swim CHICAGO The Open Water Swim CHICAGO is on Saturday May 6, 2023 to Tuesday August 22, 2023. It includes the following events: Open Water Swim Clinic (5/30), Competitive Aquathlon (5/30), Swim On Your Own (5/30), Open Water Swim Clinic (6/27), Competitive Aquathlon (6/27), Swim On Your Own (6/27), Open Water....