2026 APPLICATION
Relay ASSIGNMENTS
RElay swimmer application
crew registration (2-person relays only)
payment links: DEPOSIT / BALANCE DUE
New in 2026, NYOW is offering a relay option for the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan to give more people access to our incredible local waters and to serve as a bridge (no pun intended) to marathon swimming! These are safe, fun, unofficial events open to relay teams of 2-4 swimmers.
Timeline
January 1-15: Relay captain applications accepted.
January 31: Dates assigned.
February 14: US$1,500 deposit due.*
April 15: Full entry fees due for swims through August.
May 1: Relay swimmer deadline. Crew registration deadline (2-person relays only).
May 15: Full entry fees due for swims in September or later.
*The planning process imposes considerable expense to NYOW. Therefore, we are unable to issue refunds of the deposit after the deposit deadline due to cancellation for any reason.
2026 Dates
Applications from relay captains of teams of 2-4 people seeking to complete the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan Relay will be accepted for dates within the 2026 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan windows, subject to demand. Not all dates are available. The windows are:
Window 1: Saturday, June 13–Thursday, June 18 (including some night swims)
Window 2: Saturday, July 11–Sunday, July 19 (including some night swims)
Window 3: Saturday, August 1–Sunday, August 16
Window 4: Saturday, August 29–Thursday, September 3
Window 5: Wednesday, September 9–Wednesday, September 16
Window 6: Friday, September 25–Friday, October 2
Window 7: Thursday, October 8–Tuesday, October 13
Window 8 (TBC): Saturday, October 24–Sunday, October 25
Relay Format and Policies
Size: Relays may consist of 2, 3, or 4 swimmers. A maximum of one crew is allowed for two-person relays only; larger relays must crew for themselves without added personnel.
Rules: Relay swimmers must be at least 13 years old. While all NYOW safety policies apply, the format such as rotation time for the swim legs, swim attire selections, and documentation protocols are up to each individual relay. Only one relay swimmer may be in the water at a time except at the time of transition from one swimmer to the next. Pace swimmers are not allowed. Violation of any rules pertaining to safety including interference by drones, participation by unlisted personnel, and/or encroachment by any additional boats arranged by swimmers or crew is strictly prohibited and cause for disqualification/halting.
Contact and Coordination Captain Required: We require a relay “captain,” who is a member of the relay team, to submit the initial relay application and serve as the central point of contact for relay communication and payment. Other relay swimmers are required to register after the captain’s entry is approved.
Results: Finisher names will be posted on the NYOW site without finish times. Relay results will not be submitted to any sanctioning bodies.
Course
20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan is a 28.5-mile (45.9-kilometer) swim around Manhattan Island traditionally completed in a counter-clockwise direction. It’s a full loop, with an in-water start and finish. Regardless of which side you breath on, you’ll have interesting scenery the whole time! This includes many bridges, of course, which swimmers often choose to backstroke underneath so as to best enjoy the view (see list below). Other course highlights include famed skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower, sites where world leaders come together such as the United Nations, natural areas like Randall’s Island and Inwood Hill Park, and the many piers, neighborhoods, and types of transportation that keep New York humming.
The swim travels through three “rivers” that are actually all tidal straits or estuaries; no freshwater here. The East River, connecting New York Harbor to Long Island Sound, has some ripping-fast tides that will have you shooting under the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and other spans as you pass the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Harlem River, connecting the East River to the Hudson, is quite mellow by comparison, with relatively calm waters and a slower current. Though it’s just 8 miles long, the Harlem River is crossed by 15 bridges, most of them between Manhattan and the Bronx! Then, of course, is the mighty Hudson, separating Manhattan from the state of New Jersey. The only bridge during this stretch is the magnificent George Washington Bridge, with the Little Red Lighthouse tucked at its base. The Hudson can get quite choppy in the afternoon due to all the boat action, especially if there is wind coming up from the Harbor.
NYOW runs the 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan from two different start locations, depending on tides and daylight hours. These locations are Pier A, Battery Park, in Lower Manhattan, and Mill Rock on the Upper East Side. Click on the relevant map for mile markers. Regardless of where the swim starts, boat loading for all participants takes place in Lower Manhattan on the West Side. Swimmers and volunteers may wish to keep this in mind if booking accommodations.
The 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan Island include (in order from Pier A start):
East River (date built/length):
- Brooklyn Bridge (1883/1,825 meters)
- Manhattan Bridge (1909/2,089 meters)
- Williamsburg Bridge (1903/2,227.48 meters)
- Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge (1909/1,135 meters)
Harlem River (date built/length):
- Wards Island Bridge (1951/285.6 meters)
- RFK Triborough Bridge (1936/230 meters)
- Willis Avenue Bridge (1901/979 meters)
- Third Avenue Bridge (1898/853.44 meters)
- Park Avenue Bridge (1954/100 meters)
- Madison Avenue Bridge (1910/577 meters)
- 145th Street Bridge (1905/489 meters)
- Macombs Dam Bridge (1895/774 meters)
- High Bridge (1848/600 meters)
- Alexander Hamilton Bridge (1963/724 meters)
- Washington Bridge (1888/723.9 meters)
- University Heights Bridge (1908/82 meters)
- Broadway Bridge (1962/170.08 meters)
- Henry Hudson Bridge (1936/673 meters)
- Spuyten Duyvil Bridge (1899/186 meters)
Hudson River (date built/length):
- George Washington Bridge (1931/1,450.85 meters)
fees and withdrawal policy
Total fees (including the $1,500 deposit) are as follows, payable in USD:
- $6,800 per 4-person relay
- $6,600 per 3-person relay `
- $6,400 per 2-person relay
Entry fees include a dedicated support boat (RHIB), paddler, GPS tracking, plus T-shirts for swimmers. Two-person relays may provide one support crew aged 16 or older for the escort boat. Larger relays must crew for themselves without added personnel. NYOW will have an official on the water during the event but not necessarily on the relay boat.
Relays whose captains notify us of their withdrawal via email may be eligible for a partial refund, as follows:
- Withdrawal before full payment deadline: Captain gets a full refund minus the $1,500 deposit.
- Withdrawal after full payment deadline up until 2 weeks before the assigned swim date: If the withdrawing spot can be filled from the waitlist or by a late entry, the captain gets a full refund minus the $1,500 deposit. If the entry cannot be replaced, NYOW will retain $2,100 and refund the difference.
- Withdrawal between 13 and 3 days of the assigned swim date: If the withdrawing spot can be filled from the waitlist or by a late entry, the relay captain gets a full refund minus $2,000. If the entry cannot be replaced, NYOW will retain $2,800 and refund the difference.
- Withdrawal within 3 days of the assigned swim date: No refund is available.
Swim slots are NOT transferable to any other future seasons.
Fundraising Policy:
You are welcome to raise funds for a cause when you swim 20 Bridges Swim Around Manhattan as long as you abide by the following guidelines.
* The organization you are raising funds for must be a registered charity or not-for-profit organization.
* This organization cannot represent a religious or political cause.
* All proceeds must go to the charity you are fundraising for. You can not fund your swim through your fundraising efforts.
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