Get ready to take the plunge: This year’s Bill Keating, Jr. Great Ohio River Swim, the only open water swim across the Ohio River and back, is scheduled for Sunday, August 27.
The event is a fundraiser for Adventure Crew, a local nonprofit that connects city teens with nature and each other through outdoor adventures.
Participants enter the Ohio River at the Serpentine Wall in Downtown Cincinnati, then swim to the Kentucky side of the river and back (approximately 900 meters, or one-half mile) while the river is closed to motorized traffic. Registration is open on the event website.
“The Great Ohio River Swim has become a ‘bucket list’ event for many local swimmers,” said Miriam Wise, Adventure Crew’s director of support and engagement. “We’re excited to host both competitive and recreational swimmers in support of Adventure Crew’s Swim Training Program, which provides city teens with access to swim lessons, water safety instruction and lifeguard certification.”
Swimmers who want to go the extra miles (literally) can become “Double Dippers.” This small group of participants will take a 2.5-mile swim downstream along the Ohio shoreline before joining participants in the traditional 900-meter course. Double Dippers are encouraged to raise $200 for Adventure Crew. Only a few Double Dipper spots remain; interested swimmers must apply online and be accepted to participate.
The Swim is named for Bill Keating, Jr., one of the first swimmers to sign up for the inaugural event in 2007. (That first year, he won the men’s swim but lost the overall title to his daughter, Caroline Keating, who now serves as the event chair.) He continued to be a huge supporter of the event until he lost his battle with brain cancer in 2017.
“I’m thrilled to continue being part of this event and to honor my dad’s legacy,” said Keating, who also serves on Adventure Crew’s board. “Adventure Crew broadens access to swim instruction and provides city teens with a critical life-saving skill, thanks in part to the proceeds from this fun morning on the river.”
On the day of the event, on-site registration opens at 7 a.m., with mandatory open water safety instructions at 8 a.m. and an 8:15 a.m. start. Double Dippers must be present by 6:15 a.m. to complete their 2.5-mile swim before joining the 900-meter course.
If river conditions are uncooperative, the event will be rescheduled for Sunday, September 10.
