Swimmers Take to the Chicago River This Weekend: The Annual River Swim Returns to Near North on September 20
By Socialhood News · Near North ·
Near North neighbors, one of Chicago's most distinctive athletic traditions is landing in the neighborhood this weekend — and whether you are racing the current or cheering from the riverbank, the 2026 Chicago River Swim is worth putting on your calendar right now.
The Chicago River Swim is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, 2026, with both a 2-Mile Swim and a 1-Mile Swim on the docket. The event's home base for registration and athlete briefings is the Westin River North at 320 North Dearborn Street, which serves as the official packet pick-up and check-in hub. Packet pick-up opens Friday, September 19th at 1:00 p.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m., with athlete briefing sessions running at 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, and 4:15 p.m. — a schedule designed to let out-of-town competitors and local participants alike get oriented before race day.
The Chicago River Swim is one of those events that surprises people the first time they hear about it. The notion of open-water swimming in the Chicago River — the same waterway that winds through the heart of River North, past the Riverwalk restaurants and the landmark bridges along Wacker Drive — tends to raise eyebrows. But the swim has become a genuine institution, and its return each September is a reminder of just how dramatically the river's water quality has improved over the decades. The Chicago River was famously reversed in 1900 to protect Lake Michigan's drinking water, and for most of the 20th century it was not a place anyone would consider swimming. The fact that an organized, multi-distance open-water race now takes place here — drawing competitors who train for it seriously — is one of the more remarkable environmental turnaround stories in the city's history.
For Near North residents, the swim is a backyard event in the most literal sense. The Westin River North at 320 North Dearborn sits squarely in the neighborhood, steps from the river itself and easily reachable on foot from the residential towers along LaSalle, Dearborn, and the surrounding blocks. Spectators are welcome and the event weekend includes activities for participants and the public alike, making it a genuinely communal occasion rather than a closed athletic competition.
The weekend also coincides with another community-minded event in the neighborhood: the River North Residents Association has flagged the Chicago Help Initiative's "Run with CHI" team participation in the 2026 Run Mag Mile 5K/10K as an opportunity for neighbors to support people experiencing homelessness in Chicago — adding a philanthropic dimension to what is already a weekend full of reasons to be outside and active in Near North.
Athletes who have already registered for the swim should plan their Friday afternoon around the Westin River North briefing schedule, as the sessions are staggered across the afternoon to avoid crowding. Those who are curious about future participation can learn more at chicagoriverswim.org, where registration information and event details are maintained.
This coming Sunday, the river that defines the southern edge of River North becomes the course. It is the kind of only-in-Chicago moment that residents who have lived here for years still find genuinely exciting to watch — swimmers in the waterway that, not so long ago, no one would have gone near. Are you racing, volunteering, or planning to watch from the Riverwalk on Sunday? Share your plans with your Near North neighbors in the Socialhood comments below!
Sources:
1. https://www.chicagoriverswim.org/Race/ChicagoRiverSwim/Page/Schedule
2. https://rnrachicago.org/rnra-events/