Courtesy: Swim Across America
Swim Across America, the national nonprofit organization that Makes Waves to Fight Cancer by hosting charity swims coast to coast – from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge – has announced its 2026 schedule of Swim Across America events. This year, 27 markets will hold Swim Across America open water and pool swims, featuring 22 major open water swims and five large community pool swims. In addition, hundreds of additional pool swims will take place at community centers and country club pools throughout the nation, providing even more opportunities to Make Waves to Fight Cancer. New to the 2026 lineup are Martha’s Vineyard and Phoenix, joining the other Swim Across America chapters. Registration is open for all swims and available at swimacrossamerica.org.
Coming off the most successful year in its history, Swim Across America awarded more than $10 million in grants for 2025-26 to support cancer research, detection, education and quality-of-life and survivorship programs. In 2025, Swim Across America hosted charity swims in 25 communities and on college campuses, generating record participation, record donations and record fundraising. In each community, Swim Across America partners with academic or community cancer hospitals, pioneering a “money raised local, stays local” model that helps move promising cancer treatments and research forward with speed and accountability.
“Swim Across America continues to grow because communities understand that when they dive in, they are helping save lives by supporting critical cancer research into new possible treatments, promoting screenings and patient support,” said Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America. “In 2026, we are expanding our schedule to 27 chapters. We’re delighted to partner with the new markets of Martha’s Vineyard and Phoenix as new Swim Across America communities.”
The 2026 Swim Across America schedule includes:
- Swim Across America – Florida Keys — April 18 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Tampa Bay — May 9 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Phoenix — May 30 (pool) NEW
- Swim Across America – Charleston-Kiawah — June 6 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Nashville — June 14 (pool)
- Swim Across America – Fairfield County — June 20 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Detroit (Motor City Mile) — July 10 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Martha’s Vineyard — July 18 (open water) NEW
- Swim Across America – Long Island Sound (Westchester County, N.Y.) — July 25 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Nantucket — July 25 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Nassau/Suffolk, Long Island Sound to Cove — August 1 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Chicago — August 8 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Boston — August 15 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Denver — August 22 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Boise — August 29 (pool)
- Swim Across America – St. Louis — August 29 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Rhode Island — September 12 (open water)
- Swim Across America – San Francisco — September 12 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Seattle — September 12 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Atlanta — September 19 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Dallas — September 19 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Houston — September 26 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Baltimore — September 27 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Charlotte — October 4 (open water)
- Swim Across America – Carolina — September 26 (pool)
- Swim Across America – Louisville — Fall 2026, date TBA (pool)
- Swim Across America – Daytona — December 5 (open water)
“Every Swim Across America event has local meaning and worldwide impact,” Butcher noted. “What began as a courageous swim across Long Island Sound in 1987 has become a coast to coast movement that funds breakthrough science, supports patients and families, and gives people a powerful way to honor loved ones affected by cancer.”
Swim Across America was founded by Matt Vossler after he and his Boston College roommate, Jeff Keith, ran across America to raise money and awareness for cancer. Jeff had lost part of his leg to cancer as a child, and that experience helped inspire the mission that followed. Knowing that not everyone could run across the country but almost everyone could swim, the first Swim Across America charity swim was launched in Long Island Sound in 1987. While that first swim experienced a sunken boat during its inaugural relay, the swimmers finished safely — and helped spark what became a nationwide movement to make waves to fight cancer.
Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy treatments Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually, has eight named Swim Across America labs, and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With open water and pool swims in 27 communities across the United States – from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge – Swim Across America, along with the help of thousands of swimmers and volunteers nationwide, and past and current Olympians, is helping find better treatments and a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more, visit swimacrossamerica.org or follow on Instagram @saaswim or Facebook @swimacrossamerica.
