BALTIMORE HARBOR SWIM
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026
CELEBRATING A SWIMMABLE BALTIMORE
Join us for the first ever Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim on Sunday, June 7th, 2026! Hosted by Baltimore Open Water Swimmers (BOWS), a nonprofit organization, founded in 2026, dedicated to fostering an inclusive community through the sport of open water swimming and advocating for healthy and accessible waterways for everyone. This inaugural event celebrates the progress of the Patapsco River and a healthier harbor for Baltimore, while supporting youth learn to swim programs in Baltimore City.
Join us as a swimmer, volunteer, or spectator on June 7th, 2026! This is an incredibly spectator friendly swim with the amazing promenade stretching the whole way! We invite everyone to join to celebrate our city and support the Baltimore Harbor Swim!
DATE
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2026
9AM OPENING CEREMONY
10AM SWIM START
LOCATION
BOND STREET WHARF
901 S BOND ST BALTIMORE, MD 21231
DISTANCE
1-MILE
SWIM DAY TIMELINE
7:30-9AM Swimmer Check-In
9:00AM Opening Ceremony & Press Conference
9:30AM Swimmer Safety Briefing
9:45AM Swimmers begin to line up
10:00AM SWIM START
11:15AM Awards / Post swim festivities begin
1-MILE SWIM COURSE
The swim will start at the Kayak Launch in Fells Point at Bond Street Wharf, and the course will follow the shoreline to the new Point Park. Swimmers will then round a buoy next to Point Park and swim back to Bond Street Wharf. Swimmers will keep the buoys on their left at all times.
START: Fells Point Kayak Launch @ Bond Street Wharf
TURN AROUND: Point Park
FINISH: Back @ BOND STREET WHARF
Swimmer safety is the most important component of the event. We will have a number of safety kayakers, paddle boarders, and safety boats (staffed with certified lifeguards) out on the course with us to ensure swimmer safety at all times.
Spectators are welcome! This is an incredibly spectator friendly swim with the amazing promenade stretching the whole way! We invite friends and family to walk with their swimmer, and for everyone to join us in cheering on these athletes and an exciting first for Baltimore!
ABOUT THE SWIM
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Swimmers must be ages 18 & up to participate.
Swimmers must prove Open Water Experience (open water swim event or triathlon, etc within the last 2 years) OR submit certification that they have completed a POOL SWIM of at least ONE MILE in under ONE HOUR.
If participant has no recently recorded open water experience, please submit Pool Certification Form to hello@bmorebows.org by June 1st.
Please keep in mind that if you do a qualifying pool swim, you should aim to be able to swim this 1-mile course continuously, as there will not be any places to stop and rest on the course.
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Yes. Swimmers must be at the ½ mile turnaround buoy 30 minutes after the start, and must complete the 1-mile swim in 1 hour from when you start. Should a swimmer not meet a cutoff time, they will be removed from the course. Cut off times will be strictly enforced. These procedures are designed to protect swimmers from injury and risk, and will be enforced by the Safety Director.
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The entry fee covers the on water safety flotilla and other complexities of staging a sporting event in the greatest city in the world.
It also includes some awesome swag, including a commemorative t shirt!
The Baltimore Harbor Swim, will also support a vital cause: youth swim education and water safety for all. A portion of proceeds from the Baltimore Harbor Swim will go to support Baltimore City’s Rec & Parks’ Learn to Swim programs!
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Thanks to over a decade of cleanup efforts, and the hard work of so many, we can now enjoy the Harbor as a recreational resource for events like this! Event organizers for the Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim will use water quality testing completed by Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, which is also made available to the public.
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore collects water samples from 5 sites in the Harbor 5 days a week. Samples are taken to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to be analyzed according to the EPA’s Recreational Water Quality Criteria.
More info on water quality testing and the progress of Baltimore's Harbor at waterfrontpartnership.org/water-quality-monitoring.
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We anticipate mid to high 70s based on average water temperature in the Patapsco River for early June.
Current water temperature readings: HERE
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Wetsuits are allowed, only if water temperature is not greater than 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 degrees Celsius), however swimmers wearing wetsuits will not be eligible for awards.
Swimmers are encouraged to wear a standard swimsuit made of porous, textile material. Swimmers must wear the swim cap provided. Swimmers are welcome to wear standard swim equipment including: goggles, earplugs, and nose clips.
[Snorkels, swim fins, hand paddles are STRICTLY PROHIBITED.]
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Swimmers are allowed to use SWIM BUOYS during the swim. We ask these be inflatable floats, with short tethers, so that they do not interfere with other swimmers. Should you have a question about the use of a device, reach out to us.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!
VOLUNTEER
Not ready to swim, but still want to be apart of the fun? We invite you to join us as Kayak Support and Ground Crew Volunteers on event day. Join the party and be part of the movement to make the Baltimore Harbor Swim possible!
BENEFICIARIES
A portion of proceeds from the Baltimore Harbor Swim will go to support Baltimore City’s Rec & Parks’ Learn to Swim programs! Through this event, we aim to highlight the significant impact swimming education can have in a child’s life, building confidence and connection to the water. Swimming is not only a life skill, but a life long sport you can join anytime.
The Baltimore Harbor Swim also supports Baltimore Open Water Swimmers (BOWS), a nonprofit organization founded in 2026. BOWS is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community inclusive community through the sport of open water swimming, celebrate and protect our waterways, and make Baltimore a more vibrant and swimmable city!
Baltimore Open Water Swimmers Fund is a fiscally sponsored fund of Mission Edge (EIN: 27-2938491), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are made to Mission Edge for the benefit of Baltimore Open Water Swimmers Fund to support the open water swimming community, waterway advocacy, and community programming in Baltimore, and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
SPONSORS
& PARTNERS
Interested in being a BOWS partner or sponsor? Reach out to hello@bmorebows.org.
