The swim begins at the boat docks near the registration area. The first wave of Elite racers will begin at 7:00 a.m. The entrance to the river is on the east edge of the gass, just before the first boat dock. The current in the river will pull you down stream, and it is recommended that you not enter the water too soon before your wave begins.

The swim continues with the river current to Scholar park, which is about 1 mile down stream. The exit from the water is before the bridge that is located near the park. The swim tends to be fast, and most swimmers can swim the course in 20 minutes (range is 11 to 30 minutes). Visibility in the water is not good, and we recommend caution to all swimmers. Proper preparation and swimming skill is needed for your safety.

The water temperatures average 70 degrees and a wetsuit is not mandatory. Many swimmers find wetsuits made for swimming to be helpful. The exit from the water leads to the T1 bike transition area. Teams will hand off their timing chips after exiting the water near the sidewalk area.