Maryland Freedom Swim

ALL 2025 REGISTRANTS WILL RECEIVE AN EMAIL TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO CLAIM THEIR ENTRY FOR THE 2026 EVENT. DECISIONS MUST BE MADE BY JANUARY 1st, WHEN WE WILL OPEN UP REGISTRATION TO ALL OTHERS. 

Let's go for a swim!!!!! Who hasn't driven over the Frederick C Malkus Jr bridge (Choptank River Bridge) on Route 50 and wondered what it would be like to swim from one side to the other? Well if you are one of THOSE folks, this is a race for you. 

On Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, join us as we navigate the Choptank River,  between the bridges from the Talbot County side to the Sailwinds Park beach access point on the Dorchester County side. This 2.0 mile trip across the Choptank River and will be supported by paddle craft, motor craft and the US Coast Guard. 

A portion of the proceeds from this race will go to the Shore Rivers organization (www.shorerivers.org)

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

We invite our experienced open water swimmers to come and join us for this journey. Make no mistakes about it, this is not for the inexperienced swimmer. This straight course may sound simple but the Choptank River is a flowing body of water and we will be navigating around/through two bridges. We ask that you show proof of open water swimming experience (triathlon, open water swim events, etc) or that you have successfully completed a ONE MILE POOL SWIM in ONE HOUR (the attached form is to be signed by a certified lifeguard at a pool once the requirement completed. The completed form can be emailed to info@tcreventmanagement.com ). Please keep in mind that if you do a pool swim, you should aim to be able to swim this 2.0 mile course continuously, as there will not be any places to stop and rest on the course. 

If you feel that you would like to be a part of this event, then let's get ready to go!!!! This is a great tune up race for the Bay Swim, the Ocean Games and especially the Eagleman 70.3 Ironman Maryland race!!

WETSUITS

Water temperature is expected to be in the upper-sixties to mid-seventies, Fahrenheit. If the water temperatures are below 58 degrees, we will require wetsuits (it has not been in the last 5 years). If water temperatures exceed 84 degrees, wetsuits will not be allowed (hasn't been near there either). 

SCHEDULE (All times subject to change, based on tides for that day)

6:00 AM – 7:00 AM Pre-race check-in

7:00 AM Swimmer pre-race safety meeting (mandatory)

7:15 AM – 7:45 AM Shuttles to starting line

8:00 AM Start of self seeded swim waves

              Swimmers will enter in groups of 6, every 10 seconds

10:15 AM Post-event activities begin/AWARDS

SWIM START

This race will begin with on the beach and swimmers will be sent off in groups of 6, every 10 seconds. Athletes will be invited to self-seed themselves in an appropriate time frame. Seeding signs will be held up by volunteers, to give a visual of when to enter the water. 

Porto-johns will be available (only 2 to lessen the impact on our partners) but please use the restroom prior to coming on the bus. 

Water will be available at the start line. 

 THE COURSE

Refer to the course map at the bottom of this page. The racecourse is a point-to-point swim. The starting line is at the beach on the Ferry Point Marina in Talbot County and is marked by two round buoys. The race is an on beach start and swimmers will enter in groups of 6.  

 TIDES

Slack tide will be at 840am on race day, giving very little tidal flow at the center span.  

 SAFETY 

The Maryland Freedom Swim makes swimmer safety the most important component of the event. We will have a number of safety kayakers and safety boats out on the course with us to ensure swimmer safety at all times. All boats are able to communicate via both hand held and ship to shore radios. All swimmers are required to follow specific procedures to participate in the event. These procedures are designed to protect swimmers from injury and will be enforced by the Safety Director.

 RACE PREMIUMS

At registration all racers will receive several items including a swim cap , a Maryland Beach Towel, a gear bag that your pre-race equipment can be stored in and delivered to the finish line for you, and other giveaways from our sponsors.  

 ATHLETE GUIDE

After registration each participant will be sent an athlete guide. This guide will explain all of the event details including parking, registration, shuttles, swim start, swimmer rules, and everything else you’ll need for race day. This guide will be sent out in mid April, 2026. 

VOLUNTEERS

The safety of our swimmers is largely dependent on the number of volunteers helping with the race, both on the land and in the water via kayak or boat. If you don't think you are up for the swim this year but would like to volunteer, check out the "VOLUNTEER" tab on the registration website and sign up. If you have family or friends who are competing and you want your share of race-day action, volunteering is a great way to get involved and feel good about it. Or if you're planning to swim in the event and you know that your family or friends would be a good volunteer - send them over the registration page to sign up as a volunteer.

 EVENT: 2 MILE MARYLAND FREEDOM SWIM

This is a point-to-point swim. Participants will park at the Dorchester County Visitor Center at 2 Rosehill Pl, Cambridge, MD 21613, and will be shuttled over to the start area at the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park. From there, participants will walk with their starting wave to the start line. Swimmers will be able to pass off pre-race clothing, to be transported to the finish line for you. 

Swimmers must prove Open Water Experience OR have certification that they have completed a POOL SWIM of at least ONE MILE in under ONE HOUR. 

IF you have not completed an open water swim event, or triathlon with an open water swim component, you MUST complete the following form. These forms should be completed and emailed to Race Director Jason Chance at tcreventmanagement@gmail.com

All athletes must be able to show participation in an open water swim or have this form completed and on file, or they will not be able to register. 

Good afternoon and what a day!!! Let's hope for exactly this weather tomorrow morning!!! We just wanted to go over any last minute details and clear up a few things from the Governor's talk yesterday. 

**MASKS - Masks are only mandatory on the Shuttle Bus ride over to the Start area. We will have disposable masks available for each athlete, or you can wear your own and place it in your Morning Clothes Bag (See below)****

1) PACKET PICKUP - Packet pickup begins at 545 am at the Dorchester County Visitor Center (2 Rose Hill Place). You will find us easily because we will be under the giant sail!! Though we will be outside, if you are not comfortable around other people, feel free to wear a mask while in line. 

Please be sure to have your COVID QUESTIONNAIRE completed before showing up to packet pickup. If you did not get an email with it, or are a recent registrant, find that 30 second survey at the top of the race page at www.MarylandFreedomSwim.com

2) CHANGING - We will have two large tents set up, with side walls, at the Packet Pickup area for you to change at. These will be 10x10 tents with side walls. If you are not comfortable being in close proximity to others, please feel comfortable wearing a mask. 

3) PARKING - With the loss of the Hospital overflow lot, if there is no parking at the race site, please continue down to Governor's Hall at Sailwinds Park (.3 mile walk) and park within the CONED OFF AREA ONLY!!!! There will be a cone line (small cones) that you can follow over to the packet pickup area. 

4) PERSONAL SWIM BUOYS - Personal Swim Buoys ARE allowed, and encouraged, for those who wish to wear one during the swim. The leash should be short enough (as most are) that it does not impede any other athlete's swim. 

5) MORNING CLOTHES BAG - When you pick up your packet, we will give you a clear bag (18 in x 18 in) that will already have your bib number on it. You should bring that bag with you, on the shuttle, to the START AREA. You will be able to place it in a large bag, which will then be transported back to the FINISH area for you to pick up. These will be under our control the whole time, so feel free to have your keys in it. Please, try to keep all of the major valuables in your vehicle if you can. 

6) AWARDS - As long as we can keep some distance, we WILL be doing awards for the event!!! While you wait, we will have boxes with some light breakfast items for you while you wait!

7) START - We will have small bottles of water at the start line for athletes. There are no portos at the start line. Shuttles will begin at 7am to the start area. Self seeded swim, with 6 people going in the water every 10 seconds or so. Your time starts when you cross the start mat, so no need to crowd the start line! 

Don't forget.... 6:50am athlete talk tomorrow morning. Have all your course questions answered by the course crew!!! 

See you tomorrow morning! Be sure to get those COVID surveys done and check out the Athlete Guide with any questions. 

ShoreRivers protects and restores Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration, and education. We work collaboratively with our community yet maintain an uncompromising and independent voice for clean rivers and the living resources they support. 

2022 Athlete Guide

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to the Maryland Freedom Swim, born out of the enthusiasm and growing passion for Open Water Swimming. TCR Event Management brings you this unique, beautiful, and wild experience with the support of our volunteers, Maryland Parks Service, Dorchester County Visitor’s Center, Talbot County, and the City of Cambridge; we hope you enjoy this day!

The Maryland Freedom Swim is set to give our swimming community an opportunity to safely cross a body of water (Choptank River) that is not your traditional swim! We are excited to be able to offer you the ability to see a side of the Choptank River Bridges that you haven’t had seen before.

In order to do this, and to do it safely, we want to present to you this Athlete’s Guide. Though we may not answer all of your questions, we hope this will alleviate some of them. Please feel free to reach out on our Facebook event page or email info@tcreventmanagement.com with your questions.

The number one question we are asked is “What is the water temperature?”. There is a NOAA Buoy right next to the course that can be accessed at http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=camm2

We will be supplying Water, Gatorade, and some to-go boxes with snacks for after the event

AWARDS

THIS EVENT IS NOT WETSUIT MANDATORY!!!! 

Please note that there are no separate awards categories between wetsuit and non-wetsuit. Your choice of use will not make a difference in your placing. 

Awards will be based of overall times and given to:

Overall Male Winner (1st Place ONLY)

Overall Female Winner (1st Place ONLY)

Age Group (1st, 2nd, 3rd) is 19 and Under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ for both Men and Women

*Please note for overall times, someone in a later wave may have a faster gun time so awards will be determined at the conclusion of all swimmers. 

Timeline

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Pre-race check-in

945 AM Swimmer pre-race safety meeting (mandatory)

10:10 AM – 10:30 AM Shuttles to starting line

10:30 AM Start of self seeded swim waves

Swimmers will enter in groups of 6, every 10 seconds

12:30 PM Post-event activities begin/AWARD

Parking Instructions and map

There is limited parking at the venue, and most other parking will be in the surrounding neighborhoods. We also have overflow parking at the old hospital, next door. 

THERE IS NO PARKING ON THE GRASS FIELDS ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY!!!

Dorchester Visitors Center overview 

After Parking athletes should report to the LARGE SAIL at the Dorchester Visitor Center for packet pickup.

Athletes will take a shuttle from near the LARGE SAIL after packet pickup. Shuttles will be queued up and will take you over to the swim start area. 

NO SPECTATORS WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE SHUTTLE BUSES. SPECTATORS ARE ASKED TO STAY ON THE DORCHESTER COUNTY SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. 

Due to structural damage to the pedestrian bridges, there is NO ACCESS to the pedestrian bridges this year. All spectators should stay on the Dorchester County Visitor Center property. 

Packet Pickup

Athletes will be given a timing band to place on their ankle. All athletes MUST wear the timing band for the entirety of the race. These bands will be collected at the end of the race. Failure to return the strap can lead to the replacement cost of the timing chip (approximately $100) to be charged to the athlete

Personal Flotation Devices

Personal flotation devices ARE allowed for use during the swim. We ask that these be the inflatable devices, with short tethers, so that they do not interfere with other swimmers. Should you have a question if you can use a device, please reach out to us. 

SNORKELS, SWIM FINS, HAND PADDLES STRICTLY FORBIDDEN!!!

START AND FINISH

The start will be from the beach area. All athletes will run in to the water, 6 at a time, and then the next group of 6 will enter (about 10 seconds later). Athletes will be accounted for before entering the water on the Talbot County side. 

THERE WILL BE NO PORTOJONS AT THE START AREA. There WILL be cups of water at the start area. 

The finish is just outside of the water line at the Dorchester Visitor Center. Athletes MUST cross over the finish mat to receive their time. All athletes must be accounted for before the termination of the race!!!

DROP BAGS

Each athlete will be given a clear bag with their number on it to take to the start area. Athletes will place their numbered bag in an appropriate bin over in the Start area, which will then be brought back to the finish line for pickup. You MAY put keys, ID, phones (probably smart to put that in a case) and anything else you like, as long as it fits in a 18 x 18 bag. 

Cut offs – Strictly Enforced!!!

Main Channel crossed (1.0 miles in an hour) by 1130

Course limit 1230 (2 hrs from final start time)

Don’ts resulting in DQ’s

Don’t swim under bridges except at designated entrance and exit

Don’t touch bridge structures

Don’t swim outside the bridges

Do’s

Do use a kayak to rest if needed (it is okay if you drift under structure while resting with Kayak volunteer)

Do ask for water and/or gels from kayak support if needed

Do pace yourself and have fun

Spectators

Spectators are asked to stay on the Dorchester County side of the Choptank River Bridge. 

There are no parking spots for spectators on the Talbot County side. 

The pedestrian bridge has been deemed unsafe and is closed. All spectators should wait for their swimmers at the Dorchester County Visitor Center.

Weather and Safety

Swimming can be a dangerous sport and we take the safety of our swimmers as our highest priority. This should be apparent by the need for the proof of being able to swim the 1 mile distance within 1 hour or by showing proof of Open Water Swim ability. 

If there is lightning seen or thunder heard in the area of the race, we will be able to have ONE delay of 30 minutes. This time is the accepted time limit from most sanctioning bodies for inclement weather. Please keep in mind that there are other events going on in the Choptank River on Sunday and we only have a limited window with the US Coast Guard being able to close the river. 

If weather is a factor from wind/chop, the safety of the swimmers, as well as the VOLUNTEERS will be taken in to account. The Race Director will convene with other committee members and members of Emergency Management and the US Coast Guard and a decision will be made based on the safety of all participants. With rain in the forecast over the next few days, we are closely monitoring the water quality. 

If the swim is cancelled for any reason, there is a NO REFUND policy that has always been on the registration portal. We appreciate your understanding if something were to occur that would prevent the swim from occurring. 

BENEFICIARIES

A portion of the net proceeds from this event will go towards the ShoreRivers organization is a clean water voice for Maryland's Eastern Shore and home to the Chester, Choptank, Miles-Wye, and Sassafras Riverkeepers.

Please click on the link below to access your 2023 Maryland Freedom Swim Athlete Guide.  This guide should answer most if not all of the questions you may have regarding this year's event.

We will start from the Ferry Point Marina and immediately swim under the NEW bridge. Swimmers will make an immediate right and be between the bridges until about 100 yards from the shore on the Dorchester County side, where they will exit from under the bridge and make one final turn in to the Dorchester County Visitor Center. All turns will be marked by ORANGE tetra buoys. 

The best part is that we invite all of our spectators to walk out to the Bill Burton Fishing Pier, from the Dorchester side, to be able to see and cheer your athletes on! By being on the Dorchester side, you will be able to walk along the bridge and meet your athlete on the beach at the Dorchester County Visitor's Center. 

Please see attached PDF for the approved COVID mitigation plan. Some key points are:

• Masks at check in
• Disposable masks for the shuttle and up to the start line
• Athletes will dispose of them in a trash can
• Sealed bottles of water/Gatorade and Grab-and-go boxes for food afterwards
• A request has been made for a socially distanced awards ceremony and awaiting approval

The only part not addressed is the shuttling of athletes to the start line. 

The current plan is to have the shuttles running at full capacity (44 people) over to the start line. All participants MUST be masked for the ride and, weather permitting, the windows on the bus will be down. 

Should an athlete not feel comfortable with this, they may be dropped off, near the start line, by family/friends. THESE FAMILY/FRIENDS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY AND PARK. They MUST leave the property immediately. We MUST control the start line, but they CAN go over to the State Park and walk on the old bridge to watch their swimmer start the event and go betwen the bridges. 

Athlete Guide should be out this weekend. 

Should you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@tcreventmanagement.com

https://forms.gle/bKxzsVXfHnxq12nm6

Good morning!!! As promised, here is a link to our COVID Symptoms checker tool. The whole process takes 30 seconds, and you will NOT need to print anything out. Just complete, one per registrant, and that's it. 

https://forms.gle/bKxzsVXfHnxq12nm6

Should you experience any symptoms, or mark YES to any of the questions, please reach out to us at info@tcreventmanagement.com and we will work you through the deferral process to 2022. 

https://forms.gle/bKxzsVXfHnxq12nm6

Remember, you only have to do the form once! 

We will be sending out an email TODAY AT NOON, and one tomorrow, with any last minute details, including the information we just put on the website about our overflow parking area. 

Well this year has certainly had it's share of ups and downs but we are excited that it is finally Swim Weekend!!! Of course, what would a race weekend be without some twists and turns, so we are going to be doing one more email tomorrow (Saturday) at noon, once Governor Hogan has spoken today at 5pm. 

He, along with the CDC, recently made some statements about masks and mask mandates, which we are trying to work with. The simple matter of masks is, "If you feel comfortable wearing a mask, please do so." This will be especially important on the shuttle ride over, as they are school buses and social distancing will be impossible. Good news is, it is a 5 minute ride over.

PARKING
One thing that we lost, from 2019, was our amazing overflow parking being at the Hospital, right next to the venue. THIS YEAR, when we fill up the spots at the Dorchester County Visitor Center (2 Rose Hill Plaza) we will ask that you move down to 200 Byrn Street, the Governor's Hall at Sailwinds Park, about 3 blocks down. There is a HUGE sign on Maryland Avenue (the main street) and we will have a flag out by the sign too. We are being given a portion of their parking lot, but have been asked to stay in our area, so that church services can still happen. Our area will be clearly marked, so please stay within our area. There will be traffic cones directing you how to WALK to the packet pickup

COURSE TALK
We will have a course talk on race morning, before we load you on the buses. Part of tomorrow (Saturday's) email will be an abbreviated version of this, but we want everyone to have the most up-to-the-moment information for race morning too!

We are excited to get you in the water on Sunday! If you missed the email this morning, be sure to check out the main page at www.MarylandFreedomSwim.com and the top menu button is the link to the COVID SYMPTOM CHECKER. You only have to do this online, and once per swimmer. You do NOT have to print this out. 

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at info@tcreventmanagement.com 

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Swim Week!!! We are excited to bring you the 2021 Maryland Freedom Swim this year, and hope that you have a great week!!

COVID PLAN 
We wanted to invite you to review the COVID Mitigation plan on our main site, to get an idea of some of the strategies that we have for the event. The most important is that we are still under orders from the Health Department to enforce masks for our event. Technically we are a ticketed event (you can't do the event without registering) so we still fall under the mandates. Plus, we are going to be close to each other for some portions of the event (shuttle ride over, start corral, etc). So, mask up. We will have PLENTY of disposable masks for everyone to have until you start the swim. 

DROP BAGS
When you check in, you will be given a large, clear bag with your number on it. This is the same bag that we want you to use for your drop bag. YOU MAY put your phone (though we suggest a case or a dry bag), wallet, keys, etc, in that bag and you will drop it in the appropriate area over on the START side of the course. The bags are large enough for clothes and other items. 

PARKING
We know that parking is a premium, especially in this area. We are working on securing additional parking for the event and will send out more details later. Right now, when the main parking lot is filled, additional parking will need to be found in the surrounding neighborhoods. Please be courteous and do not block any driveways at residences. 

SHUTTLES
We are still shuttling swimmers over to the start area from the Visitor Center, as there is no parking available over at the start line. Should we be allowed, we MAY allow for participants to be dropped off at the Marina, but spectators are NOT allowed in the start area. We will send over the final instructions shortly, if we are going to be able to allow drop offs. 

WATER TEMP
Yup, I know you are going to ask, about a million times. Want to know what we do? We put "NOAA CAMM2" in Google and get REAL TIME water temperatures from the buoy that is ON COURSE!!! That's right! It doesn't get much more accurate than that! As of the time of this writing, water temperature is 62.8 degrees. 

That's enough for now! We will send out more information as the week progresses. Should you review any of this material and are just not comfortable with the event, or your confidence, please let us know BY WEDNESDAY, 5/12/2021, so that we can give you a deferral to next year and someone from our WAITING LIST can opt in. 

Thank you and should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at info@tcreventmanagement.com