Including the Swim Around Manhattan

1. Purpose and scope

URBANSWIM establishes these rules to promote safety, consistency, transparency, and integrity in solo marathon swimming.

These rules apply to solo marathon swim attempts organized, conducted, or recognized by URBANSWIM, including the Swim Around Manhattan (SAM).

2. Definition of a solo marathon swim

A solo marathon swim is an open-water swim completed by one swimmer, without a simultaneous competing swimmer or relay teammate, under the swimmer’s own power.

A marathon swim generally covers at least 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

A solo swim must be completed continuously, without intentional physical support, resting on a support vessel, or using equipment that provides flotation, propulsion, or performance-enhancing assistance.

URBANSWIM may establish additional requirements for particular routes.

3. Permitted swimwear and equipment

The following equipment is permitted for an unassisted solo swim:

• One conventional, non-neoprene textile swimsuit. (Can not be below knee or above waist for men, and can not be below knee or covering neck and arms for women.)
• One conventional, non-neoprene swim cap. (URBANSWIM cap only.)
• Goggles.
• Earplugs.
• Body grease or lubricant.
• Illumination required for night swimming.

The following are not permitted in the unassisted category:

• Wetsuits, neoprene swimwear, or other thermal or buoyancy-enhancing garments.
• Fins, hand paddles, or other propulsion aids.
• Tow floats or other flotation devices.
• Devices used to provide navigational, pacing, or performance assistance.
• Other equipment that provides a material swimming advantage, unless expressly authorized under a separately defined category.

All equipment must be disclosed to URBANSWIM before the swim. Any exception must be approved in advance and documented in the swim record.

4. Swimming conduct and physical assistance

The swimmer must complete the declared course under their own power.

The following are prohibited:

• Holding, leaning on, pushing off, or otherwise receiving physical support from a vessel, person, structure, or floating object.
• Being towed, pulled, pushed, or propelled by another person, a vessel, or equipment.
• Intentionally drafting behind a support swimmer or escort vessel to gain a performance advantage.
• Using a feeding implement, vessel, or crew member for support or propulsion.
• Leaving the water to rest and then resuming the attempt, unless the swim has been expressly approved as a format that permits such a stop.

Receiving food, hydration, navigation assistance, observation, and safety support is permitted, provided the swimmer receives no prohibited physical support or propulsion.

Emergency intervention always takes precedence over ratification.

5. Feeding and hydration

Swimmers may receive food, fluids, and nutritional supplements from their support crew.

Feeds must be delivered without the swimmer receiving physical support or propulsion. The swimmer may hold a feeding bottle or implement, provided it is not used to rest on, pull against, or propel themselves.

Swimmers and crew are responsible for planning adequate nutrition and hydration for the anticipated duration and conditions.

6. Support swimmers

Support swimmers are permitted only where expressly authorized by the applicable URBANSWIM route rules.

For the Swim Around Manhattan, the following additional restrictions apply:

• A support swimmer may swim alongside the solo swimmer or at a reasonable distance behind.
• A support swimmer may not swim ahead of the solo swimmer, lead the swimmer, pace the swimmer, tow the swimmer, or provide drafting assistance.
• Physical contact between the solo swimmer and support swimmer is prohibited, except where necessary for emergency assistance.
• Each support-swimmer period may last no more than 30 minutes.
• Support swimming is permitted only in the Harlem River and the Hudson River north to the George Washington Bridge, as designated by URBANSWIM for the attempt.
• Support swimmers must wear a URBANSWIM swim cap so that they can be readily identified.

Support swimmers are intended to provide companionship and reassurance, not pacing, propulsion, or competitive advantage.

7. Escort vessel, pilot, and crew

Every Swim Around Manhattan attempt must have an appropriate escort vessel and qualified personnel capable of supporting the swimmer and monitoring the conditions.

The pilot is responsible for safe vessel operation, navigation, and compliance with applicable maritime requirements. The crew provides feeding and other agreed operational support.

The vessel and crew must not tow, propel, or physically support the swimmer. The swimmer must not intentionally use the vessel’s wake to gain a performance advantage.

The pilot may alter operations, suspend the attempt, or terminate the swim when conditions threaten the safety of the swimmer or crew.

All necessary permissions, vessel requirements, and applicable navigation rules must be satisfied before the attempt begins.

8. Start, route, and finish

The swimmer must complete the route declared and approved by URBANSWIM before the attempt.

The Swim Around Manhattan follows the designated circumnavigation route, with its start and finish points established by URBANSWIM. The recognized course is approximately 28.5 miles, subject to the officially designated route and conditions.

The swimmer must follow the prescribed course and may not intentionally shorten it or use unauthorized intermediate stops.

The observer records the official start and finish times and locations. Any route deviation, interruption, or change must be documented.

9. Observer and documentation

Each attempt must have an official observer appointed or approved by URBANSWIM.

The observer is responsible for impartial documentation of the swim and monitoring compliance with these rules. The observer should not simultaneously perform duties that materially compromise their ability to observe the swim.

The observer must document:

• Swimmer’s name, date, route, and declared swim category.
• Start and finish times and locations.
• Conditions, including water temperature, weather, wind, and current where available.
• Swimmer’s condition and any significant events.
• Any safety intervention, interruption, or termination.

For Swim Around Manhattan, the observer must maintain a timestamped log at intervals of no more than 30 minutes, recording time, conditions, and the swimmer’s conduct.

The swim must also be documented with GPS tracking. The tracker should be activated at the start, and a timestamped tracker photograph should be obtained at the start and at least hourly during the swim, where practicable. The complete GPS track, observer log, and supporting photographs are the basis of the URBANSWIM ratification process.

10. Safety and termination

The safety of the swimmer, pilot, observer, and crew takes precedence over completion of the swim.

The pilot retains authority over vessel operations and immediate navigation safety. The observer may recommend or require termination under URBANSWIM’s procedures when the attempt becomes unsafe or when compliance cannot be adequately monitored.

The swim may be stopped for medical concerns, deteriorating conditions, navigation hazards, equipment failure, or other material safety issues.

Any person may provide emergency assistance when necessary. Emergency assistance is not a violation of the duty to protect life, but may affect whether the swim qualifies for unassisted recognition.

A terminated attempt must be documented accurately. The swimmer’s safety must never be compromised to preserve a record or achieve ratification.

11. Rule violations and classification

URBANSWIM will assess any suspected rule violation using the observer’s report, GPS data, photographs, crew accounts, and other relevant evidence.

Depending on the circumstances, URBANSWIM may:

• Ratify the swim as an unassisted solo marathon swim.
• Recognize completion but classify the swim as assisted or otherwise nonconforming.
• Request further documentation before making a determination.
• Decline to ratify the attempt.

Unintentional contact, emergency intervention, or minor procedural irregularities will be assessed in context. Intentional physical support, propulsion, prohibited equipment, or deliberate course-shortening will generally disqualify an attempt from unassisted ratification.

The decision and its basis should be documented consistently and communicated to the swimmer.

12. Recognition

URBANSWIM maintains records of solo marathon swims that it organizes or recognizes.

A swim may be described as completed when the swimmer has finished the declared course. It may be described as ratified by URBANSWIM only after the required documentation has been reviewed and the attempt found to comply with the applicable rules.

13. Interpretation and amendments

URBANSWIM is responsible for interpreting and administering these rules for the swims within its remit.

Route-specific requirements may supplement these general rules but must be published or communicated to the swimmer before the attempt. Any approved exception must be documented.

These rules may be amended to reflect safety considerations, changes in local regulations, or developments in established marathon-swimming practice. The version applicable to an attempt is the version designated by URBANSWIM before the swim.

URBANSWIM — Your city. Your water.