CEDAR ISLAND 5K SWIM 2026 — Avalon, NJ

We are thrilled with the enthusiasm and incredible support for our must do open water charity swim in the Avalon back bays! We are celebrating 17 years of swimming around Cedar Island this year. The World Open Water Swimming Association named the Cedar Island 5K Swim as One of America's Top Open Water Swims. This is a list of the most unique, most popular, most historic, most beautiful, most interesting, and most challenging open water swims across the 50 states of the United States of America. Following criteria is used to determine the list of open water swims. 1. History 2. Uniqueness 3. Popularity 4. Difficulty 5. Attention to Safety 6. Global geographic distribution The course is designed to be going with the tide for the beginning and the end of the event! All proceeds from the race will be going to the SNEAKERS FOR SOLDIERS. Athletes receive an XTERRA mesh backpack, choice of a unisex or female style tee shirt, custom event Defeet socks, event swim cap, chip timing, and a custom event finisher towel. Thank you so very much for the amazing support. CEDAR ISLAND 5K SWIM GEAR is available for donation! $25 in the donation tab gets you a CI5KS event long sleeved hooded tee shirt! You asked and we listened....grab our PREMIUM HOODIE OR BOXERCRAFT PAJAMAS (or BOTH!) over in the STORE for $50.00 donation! Quantities will be listed by size and a first come first serve basis. Grab them while we got them! RACE DAY: Packet pick up is 7:45 am-9:15 am at AYC. THERE IS NO PARKING AT ALL WHAT SO EVER AT THE AVALON YACHT CLUB. Parking in only available at the AYC for ON WATER SUPPORT VOLUNTEERS with their kayaks and SUPs. There is plenty of street parking along 6th, 7th, and 8th Streets, Ocean Drive, and Dune Drive. (There are bathrooms in that building!) It is a short walk to the club but we also have 2 JITNEY SHUTTLES floating all these areas to pick you up and drop you off to packet pick up. 4 Port O Pots will be available (2 blue for guys, 2 pink for gals) at the AYC in the back rear, right side of the parking lot. Check in is at the Avalon Yacht Club. A bib list will be sent a few days prior to the race. Please know your number. You can SELF MARK YOUR LEFT HAND WITH YOUR BIB NUMBER PRIOR to your arrival at pick up. This will help us get everyone in and out quickly at pick up. You bib number will be confirmed along with your ICE contact information. You will then get tour athlete bag with everything you need in it. Your custom athlete bag will contain your event swim cap, timing chip and strap to be worn on either ankle, IT IS MANDATORY TO WEAR THE EVENT SWIM CAP provided in your bag. Also, in your bag is your event tee shirt and custom Defeet socks. The 5K swim starts and finishes at Avalon Yacht Club. We are going back to our MASS IN WATER START at 9:40 am! Things will move very quickly so be ready to be called into the water over the timing mat. MANDATORY 90 minute cut off time that is strictly enforced and if not met, you will be pulled from the course. All swimmers need to be done by 11:10 AM. Water temperature is typically mid 70s and wetsuit legal. *DO NOT GATHER AT THE SWIM START DOCK UNTIL 9:30 am. Volunteers will be there with their SUP and kayaks preparing to get on the water for your safety during the swim. They will have an 9:20 am volunteer safety meeting on the dock at the start/finish line. You may enter the bay for warm up. It is unguarded prior to the race start. You must be out of the water by 9:15 AM. 9:25 AM Athlete meeting at the Youth Center Deck. 3:05 PM Athletes line up on the dock ramp 9:30 AM Swimmers will be counted in and cross a timing mat. There is a 90 minute cut off time to complete the swim and finish at the Avalon Yacht Club. This is a counter clockwise course. The back bay is nice and wide along the entire course. On water safety patrol will be there to guide you, especially to help you round the buoys. SITE and know your surroundings. You will swim out to a WHITE NO WAKE BUOY, then turn left and stay MARSH SIDE for the open inter coastal water way. Once you are on the back bay, you will then swim on the right side of the bay/DOCK SIDE, round the three ORANGE buoys in each corner, keeping them on your left shoulder. You do NOT HAVE TO ROUND THE BUOY at the finish line. Go straight line into the exit ladder on the dock. Swimmers will exit by a swim ladder located on the end of the large floating dock at AYC. YOU MUST REMOVE YOUR OWN TIMING CHIP ONCE YOU HAVE EXITED UP THE RAMP AT AYC. It is recommended to keep your own time if possible to confirm times. This is a charity swim so please be respectful and keep your order upon exit or waiting to climb the ladder. All four buoys you will round LEFT. You must go around all buoys! We are committed to you, our charitable and dedicated swimmers. We are looking forward to an impactful and rewarding day swimming for charity. AWARDS: Top 5 M/F Overall, Top M/F Masters and Grand Masters, Oldest and Youngest swimmers. This is the 2nd race o