
2027 SwimRVA New Year's Challenge is a swimming race on December 31, 2026 in Richmond, VA, with an entry fee of $75.
The SwimRVA New Year's Challenge is about YOU. It is about setting goals for the coming year. No matter if you are a beginning swimmer or just finished crossing the English Channel, this event is YOURS. At SwimRVA we want you to be healthy, happy and energized to be part of our community. We believe swimming can be your vehicle to stay healthy active and fit. The SwimRVA New Year's Challenge is about setting a goal of how far you can swim. The format is repeating 100 yard swims on an interval. The interval is designed so you have time to finish each 100 yard swim, get some rest and then start another. Past participants have had goals of 3 x 100s up to 100 x 100s. The measure of success is not how far you swim, but whether you reached YOUR goal and set a NEW GOAL for next year. We hope the New Year's Challenge is rejuvenating and centers each and every participant on the SUCCESS they will achieve in and out of the pool.
Check out last year's SWIMRVA NEW YEAR"S CHALLENGE GALLERY
The event is going to be on Wednesday, December 31, 2026. The event will run from 2pm-5pm. Check-In starts at 1pm.
There will be a tiered fee structure. It's ONLY $75 if registered by October 31. At registration you will pick the interval you would like to swim. Instructions will be to pick an interval where you will get between 15-45 seconds rest. So if you can comfortably swim a 100 freestyle in 2:00 you will want to pick an interval around 2:30 depending on how much rest you want on the wall. Interval choices will start at 1:30 and progress as follows: 1:40 1:50 2:00 2:20 2:40 3:00 3:30 4:00.
If you are more of a leisure swimmer, you may want to choose 3:30 or 4:00. If you do not know your interval, please pick 4:00 and we will place you on event day.
This is all about YOU! There is no competition, except with yourself. Will you ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE?
It's too far out for a forecast, so here's what weather on this date is normally like in the area. A race day forecast will replace this as race week approaches.
Typical High
49°
Typical Low
30°
Chance of Rain
32%
Based on US Climate Normals data from Richmond Intl Ap, 10 mi from the venue.
Population
227,595
as of 2023
City Elevation
60 ft
Nearest Airport
RIC
Richmond International Airport · 9 mi
Time Zone
Eastern Time
From Endurance Grid
A mid-size host city. Enough lodging and amenities to keep race weekend easy, without big-city sprawl.
Every finish line starts with a single decision. Claim your spot at 2027 SwimRVA New Year's Challenge, put it on the calendar, and turn “someday” into a start date.
99
Days to train
Enter your email and we'll send more your way.
Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it’s the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer’s event page.
Swimming events drop you into something that demands navigation, feel, and focus all at once. It's a sport that rewards the quietly competitive — the ones who do the work in the water before anyone's watching.
Open water races take place in lakes, rivers, bays, and oceans. Distances can run anywhere from a short 500m swim to 10K marathon events. Just you and the water.
2027 SwimRVA New Year's Challenge
Dec 31, 2026