Big Shoulders Open Water Swim Classic

Big Shoulders is a 5K and 2.5K swim that takes place in the "playpen" off of Ohio Street Beach in Lake Michigan. The course is a 2.5K triangle with an in water start and a beach finish. The race has been held every year since 1991 (cancelled twice due to weather, once due to Covid). Proceeds from the race benefit the Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Teams at the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as the Alliance for the Great Lakes.