Chicago River to Host 750 Swimmers in Expanded Urban Waterway Event

Running from September 18 to 20, the weekend highlights the decades-long environmental restoration of the Chicago River. The festivities begin with The Big Jump on Friday at the Dearborn Street Riverwalk, a sanctioned opportunity for public participants to enter the water. This segment serves as a fundraiser for ALS research and youth swim education, drawing a roster of Olympians, Paralympians, and local figures, including Chicago Bears legend Charles Tillman.

On Sunday, the focus shifts to the competitive one- and two-mile open-water swims. Organizers have increased capacity from 500 to 750 participants to meet rising demand. The event, which debuted in 2025 as the first organized swim in the river in nearly a century, underscores the success of long-term water quality initiatives managed by municipal and environmental partners. International athletes, such as Dutch gold medalist Maarten van der Weijden and Mexican record-holder Jorge Andrés Iga César, will join local civic leaders to mark the river’s shift from an industrial channel to a recreational asset.