What: 3K open water swim.
When: SATURDAY, July 11, 2026 – 8:00am start
Where: Ottawa River, Nepean Sailing Club
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Swim Packet Pick-up and Late Registration: Check in is Thursday, July 9th from 5-8pm and Friday, July 10th from 12-8 pm at the Nepean Sailing Club (NSC), 3259 Carling Avenue, at Dick Bell Park. While you’re there, check out the course, swim start line, and club facilities. Pick up your pre-ordered T-shirt or Towel! Enjoy a beverage and pre-race meal or snack on the Nepean Sailing Club’s deck.
Registered swimmers: If you need to change your registration (eg Wetsuit status, personal info, change from 3K to 1.5K, etc.), please sign into Race Roster to change your status. Go to your event dashboard and click the Edit Registration button.
Limited packet pick-up is available on Saturday between 7 and 7:30 am, primarily for out of town swimmers only, second level NSC. Please come Thursday or Friday to avoid congestion on race day morning. Your friends or family can also pick up your race kit if you can’t make it in person.
Parking & Event Day Shuttles
Parking is limited, so please arrive early so you have plenty of time to find a parking space and/or catch a shuttle if needed. We strongly recommend carpooling or cycling to the event, if possible.
Parking is available at the below locations. On race day, free shuttles will run between parking locations every 5-7 minutes between 6:30 AM and 11:00 AM.
- Nepean Sailing Club (3259 Carling Avenue) at Dick Bell Park, where the 3km starts. Shuttle pick up is right in front of the clubhouse.
- Andrew Haydon Park (3169 Carling Avenue), just a short walk immediately to the east of the Nepean Sailing Club. Shuttle pick up is at the car entrance to the parking lots on Carling Ave.
- Britannia Beach (2805 Carling Avenue) – 2 parking lots on either side of the Ron Kolbus Centre, and some street parking on Greenview Ave (leading to the lots – please check the signs carefully!). Shuttle pick up is right in front of the Ron Kolbus Centre.
Volunteers will be at the 4 parking locations directing vehicles – please follow their instructions. If all of the parking lots are full, street parking is available in the adjacent residential areas but please follow municipal parking street signage to avoid being ticketed. BOTB will not be responsible for any parking tickets received by the City if you park in a non-designated spot.
Parking at Nepean Sailing Club & Andrew Haydon Park – 3km start
Parking at Britannia Park- 1.5km start and 1.5km/3km finish
Race Day
Enter the club through the main doors with your Race Kit and gear. You’ll be directed to the swim start area. Washrooms are located in the main clubhouse and in the sailing school pavilion near the swim start. Additional portable facilities are located near the swim start.
Swim Start
Bring your swimsuit, wetsuit (optional), goggles (recommended), pre-race nutrition, hydration, and sunscreen. Swim caps are mandatory and will be provided. We will provide you with a bag to drop off your shoes and extra clothing, which we will transport to the finish line. If you prefer, bring your own bag or knapsack for easier identification at the finish area. We will provide a tag with your assigned race number.
The swim will begin at 8 am sharp! You may warm up before the swim but please be out of the water by 7:45 am. Please follow instructions so we can get the swim started on time. Please make sure your assigned swim cap number is on both sides of your swim cap. The swim cap must be worn throughout the duration of the swim.
Chip timing by Sportstats: Timing chip pick-up will take place near the swim start on race day morning. To pick up your chip, please have your cap with your number clearly marked on it. You can wear your timing chip on either ankle. If you need to drop out of the swim after you pick up your timing chip, please make sure you return the chip to an official as soon as possible. Timing chips will be collected at the finish line. Please make sure your chip is removed by a volunteer.
Safety and Swim Rules: There will be boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards patrolling the course. Swimmers may stop and hold onto a boat for the purpose of rest and recovery. No individual escorts are allowed! Swim caps must be worn during the race and are included with your registration package. Please write your assigned swim cap number on each side of your swim cap. Goggles are strongly recommended. Awards will be presented in both non-wetsuit and wetsuit categories.
Swim buoys are allowed (e.g. MyFloat or New Wave). However, fins, paddles, and other swim aids are NOT permitted.
Music listening devices are NOT allowed. We want you to be able to hear commands from our water safety team, possible distress calls from fellow swimmers, and cheers from the spectators on the 30 sailboats along the course!
Order of Entry
At 8 am, an elite group of swimmers will begin in the water. Following the elite group, the rest of the swimmers will enter the water from the dock in waves in a rolling start. You will be assigned into one of five groups based on your predicted swim time. A coloured swim cap will indicate your group. Faster swimmers will enter the water ahead of slower swimmers. Please try to stick to your group prior to entering the water. Your start time will be based on crossing a timing mat on the dock just prior to entering the water.
The Swim: The course will be well marked. There will be large swim markers. As well, at least 30 sailboats will be anchored along the course with sailors cheering you on. Keep ALL the swim markers and sailboats to your right. Sailboats along the way will display ‘distance-to-go’ signboards. They will be numbered from 2900 metres to 100 metres of remaining distance until approaching the finish line.
If you need to remove yourself from the swim, we will provide you with transport to the finish line. Volunteer medical staff will be available at the finish line. Swimmers requiring medical attention during the swim may be transported prior to reaching the finish line. Remember to return your timing chip if you leave the swim early.
We have imposed a time limit of 2 hours to complete the swim. Two hours after the last swimmers enter the water, any remaining swimmers may be picked up from the water for swimmer safety.
NEW IN 2025: No ladders! New in 2025, both events will finish with a beach walk-out at Britannia Park Surfer’s Beach!
Your timing chip will be collected, and your swim bag will be available to you. Food and refreshments will be provided to participants only.
Shuttle buses are available to transport your family and friends from the start to the finish line, and back again. A continuous flow of buses will depart the NSC approximately every 5-10 minutes just after the swim starts.
Please ask everyone to follow the directions of the parking volunteers, as we must keep certain routes clear for public transit.
Return transportation is available back to the NSC for swimmers and spectators. Buses will leave every 5-10 minutes.
Awards Presentation: A short awards presentation will take place at approximately 9:30 am. Awards medals will be presented to the top 3 male and female overall winners in both wetsuit and non-wetsuit categories. Overall winners will be removed from the age group awards. All participants will receive a beautiful finisher’s medal designed by Graham Ross, owner of Kid With a Crayon Art & Design. Plenty of prizes, courtesy of Bushtukah, will be available, so stick around! Results will be provided onsite by Sportstats.
Bring On The Bay 