Washington-area residents who don’t want to travel too far to swim in open water, without walls, lane ropes or black lines on the bottom of the pool, have plenty of options for racing this year. Although the Chesapeake Bay Swim, the premier open-water race in the area, is already full, there are other options. Plan to sign up soon because these fill up quicker and quicker every year. May 2: Nanticoke Triathlon, Bivalve, Md. The Nanticoke River Swim & Triathlon Association holds this open-water swim and triathlon early in the season. Swimmers can choose between a 3-mile and a half-mile swim. The water temperature is expected to be 62.
Info: nanticokeriverswimandtri.com.
May 30: Jim McDonnell Lake Swims, Reston. This is the first open-water swim in the Washington area and serves as practice for triathletes and Chesapeake Bay Swim competitors. The weekend offers both 1- and 2-mile swims on Sunday, with a clinic and practice swim on Saturday. Info: restonmasters.org.
June 5: Potomac River Swim. This is a 7.5-mile swim across the Potomac River, starting at Hull Neck, Va., on the Northern Neck and ending at Point Lookout State Park. Info: artemis.crosslink.net/~cherylw/pr2008i.htm
June 13: One-Mile Bay Challenge, Stevensville, Md. Though the 4.4-mile swim across the Bay is full, the 1-mile version on the eastern side of the Bay is an option. Note: Registration opened Feb. 1; it will close at 530 entrants. You must be able to finish the swim in 40 minutes. bayswim.com.
July 10: Maryland Swim for Life, Chestertown. The annual event is held in the Chester River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Swimmers can pick from one, two, three, four or five miles; a picnic is held afterward. Info: swimdcac.org.
July 10: Chris Greene Lake Cable Swim, Charlottesville, Va. The 2-mile swim along a cable in Chris Green Lake has been held since 1977. Info: cableswim.org.
