Swim Around Charleston - results index
Swim Around Charleston is an annual 12-mile open water swim through the waterways and harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. It was founded by Kathleen Wilson in 2011.
Note: 2018 race canceled due to Hurricane Florence.
| Route | Swims | Fastest |
|---|---|---|
| Remleys Point to I-526 | 305 | Mallory Mead - 03:58:52 (2011) |
View data by year:
Reviews
Reviewer: Sarah Swoch (September 2023)
Swam in 2023 (Finished). Entry fee: 300
OVERALL: ★️★️★️★️★️
Organization: ★️★️★️★️★️
Route/Course: ★️★️★️★️★️
Social Activities: ★️★️★️★️✩️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "This swim is well run, has great safety support (safety kayaks, Coast Guard), and is absolutely beautiful. Kathleen puts a lot of attention to detail, heart, and all her expertise into this swim and it's a family run event. You get to swim past the downtown sights and up into the Ashley River where it becomes more natural, keeping it interesting the whole way. We were fortunate that record high water temperatures (84) came down to 77 degrees F a few days before the swim. We had a quarter moon tide, so the push was nice, but not as big as some other years where it's been a full or new moon. Kathleen calculated the tides perfectly and the push happened just as she had planned. As in any (near) circumnavigation the water changes as you move through the course. We had flat calm to some disorganized chop with winds a bit higher than predicted, but foretunately mostly at our backs toward the end of the race. The kayak provider for the race is Sea Kayak Carolina and they did an exceptional job matching kayakers with the most appropriate kayak for their experience and comfort level. They called me and my kayaker before the race to make sure all the details were set. Communication with everyone was excellent, the race was on time, and I had a fabulous time in Charleston before, during, and after the race."
Reviewer: Seth Baetzold (August 2023)
Swam in 2020 (Finished). Entry fee: 350
OVERALL: ★️★️★️★️★️
Organization: ★️★️★️★️★️
Route/Course: ★️★️★️★️★️
Social Activities: ★️★️★️★️★️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "The race organizer truly cares about this event and puts an immense amount of time into the event. The swim is scenic, peaceful, and refreshing. The air and water can be on the hotter side, as I remember in 2019, but swimmable.
The tide is well calculated, and the swim is well supported with boats and staff."
Reviewer: Doug Miller (August 2023)
Swam in 2017 (Finished). Entry fee: I can't recall - $150 - 200?
OVERALL: ★️★️★️★️★️
Organization: ★️★️★️★️★️
Route/Course: ★️★️★️★️★️
Social Activities: ★️★️★️★️★️
Cost/Value: ★️★️★️★️★️
Comments: "This is an extremely well-organized and well-run event. Founder Kathleen Wilson puts safety first in this challenging and fun swim around Charleston. The swim features several different aquatic conditions and scenery - including past historic downtown - that keep it interesting. Definitely recommend!"