CHICAGO, September 9, 2026 – Paul Sommer scanned his goggles twice before looking at the raft attached to his wrist. On Sunday morning, Sommer will make strokes to tow Jeff Birkels, who has ALS, two miles across the Chicago River. It’s a silent vow amidst the noisy weekend: blaring horns, cheering crowds, and slaps of 750 swimmers jumping into the water.
The City of Chicago and Mayor Brandon Johnson are collaborating with the Chicago River Swim to revive The Big Jump and increase the number of athletes in the primary swim field up to 750 athletes. Registration for the event has reopened for one-mile and two-mile courses, while limited slots remain for The Big Jump cost $500 per jumper.
Here is the schedule:
The Big Jump starts on Friday, Sept. 18, running from 10 a.m. to noon, along the Riverwalk next to Dearborn Street, with Mayor Johnson hosting the opening plunge. The main Chicago River Swim takes place on Sunday, Sept. 20, between 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., on the main stem of the river. The Sunday race will be broadcast live by ABC7 Chicago.
Why is it happening now? Because the river isn’t the environmental hazard it was decades ago. The inaugural Chicago River Swim in 2025 drew 263 swimmers, marking the first organized open water swim in the river in 98 years, proving the concept in the heart of downtown Chicago. Expansion this year reflects decades of infrastructure and water quality investments by the city, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Friends of the Chicago River, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Chicago Park District.
“The Chicago River belongs to all of Chicago, and The Big Jump is a powerful way to celebrate how far our city has come,” Mayor Johnson said. He framed the weekend as both a milestone and a mission: reconnecting communities to the urban waterway while raising vital funds for ALS research and expanding access to lifesaving swim and water-safety education for local youth.
Doug McConnell, founder of A Long Swim and the Chicago River Swim, echoed that vision.
“Last year proved that swimming could return to the Chicago River and become something meaningful for the entire city,” McConnell said. “This year, we are creating more ways for people to be part of that experience.” A Long Swim, the non-profit leading the event, has raised more than $3.5 million for ALS research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
A look at the lineup of jumpers reads like an all-encompassing roster of watermen and women from around the globe. U.S. Olympic silver medalist Maritza Correia McClendon will jump in representing the USA Swimming Foundation. Multiple Olympic medalist Blake Pieroni is set to tackle the one-mile swim. Dutch Olympic gold medalist Maarten van der Weijden, a leukemia survivor who has raised millions for cancer research through endurance feats, will compete in The Big Jump. Mexican Olympian Jorge Andrés Iga César, Paralympic athletes Ahalya Lettenberger and Grace Nuhfer, and ice swimming world champion Max Munson round out the international field. Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron is also traveling to Chicago to join the plunge.
The weekend reaches far beyond speed or distance. It is about access.
Proceeds from The Big Jump directly fund youth swimming lessons in underserved Chicago neighborhoods alongside ongoing ALS medical research. On Sunday, that spirit will take center stage as Sommer pulls Birkels along the full two-mile course.
No one is under any illusion that this is going to be simple. Small groups of participants will jump into the river over the course of Friday morning; each registered jumper receives a flotation vest, souvenir robe, commemorative T-shirt, lunch, and a goodie bag. People who have raised over $1,000 can bring a non-jumping guest to the staging areas. Qualified swimmers on Sunday will complete the mile-or-two swim under full supervision.
The river is no longer just a backdrop, but rather has transformed into a lively public space. When the horn sounds at 10 a.m. on Friday, the jumpers will be the first to prove whether Chicago’s long-term efforts have rendered the river safe for everyone.
