Take the Plunge: City Launches $500 'Big Jump' Ahead of Expanded Chicago River Swim

The city is offering a limited, $500 'Big Jump'—a sanctioned opportunity to dive into the Chicago River—as part of the upcoming Chicago River Swim weekend. Only 100 public spots are available for the jump on Sept. 18 (10 a.m.–12 p.m.), with participants receiving a buoy, robe, T-shirt, lunch and a goodie bag, and proceeds supporting ALS research and youth swim education. Registration for the Chicago River Swim has reopened and expanded from 500 to 750 participants; the swim on Sept. 20 includes one- and two-mile races, with a $100 invite fee and fundraising targets of $1,250 (one mile) or $1,750 (two miles), plus a requirement for prior open-water swim experience. Last year’s inaugural event drew 263 swimmers, marking the river’s return to competitive open-water swimming.