The qualifying information below is applicable to all 2027 GCBS entrants.

4.4 Entrant:  If you are planning to utilize a witnessed swim as your 4.4 qualifying event document - you are required to download the "official" witnessed swim form by clicking the PDF form below.    Once your witnessed swim is completed and verified by your observer, you are required to submit the witnessed form via email attachment to become part of your approved entry process. Qualifying instructions are to be explicitly followed. THIS SWIM WILL BE A 3 MILE POOL SWIM IN UNDER 2 HOURS 15 MINUTES.

1 Mile Bay Swim entrants are not required to submit swim documentation.  However, they must be able to complete a one mile open-water swim within 40 minutes or be pulled from the water. 

4.4 Entrants who elect to submit swim results from a swim event or results from the swim portion of a triathlon - it must be a minimum of 1,500 meters (.9 miles).  You will read the specific instructions in your entry form. You are expected to explicitly follow the instructions.

ALL QUALIFYING SUBMITTED SWIM  DOCUMENTATION MUST BE DATED WITHIN TWO YEARS OF JUNE 13, 2027

ALL DOCUMENATION MUST BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 18, 2027 AT 12:00PM (EST)

For the 4.4 Mile Chesapeake Bay Swim participants who plan to use a pool swim as their qualifying event you will need to download the Pool Swim Form below (PDF Form). You must prove that you can swim 3 miles, in a pool environment, in under 2 hours 15 minutes, if you do not have proof of an open water swim (over 1500 meters) in the last two years .

This form must be submitted by Sunday, May 18th, 2027, at 12:00 pm

To maintain the safety of our swimmers, as well as our volunteers, there are strict swim time cutoffs that must be maintained for the event to happen. 

The start of the 4.4 mile swim, in 2027, will be at 9:30am, from Sandy Point State Park. This means a slightly earlier morning that 2022 but also calmer currents and winds (fingers crossed). 

With an 8am start time (estimated) the following cutoffs will be enforced. 

Mile 1 - All swimmers must reach the Mile 1 buoy by 10:30am

Mile 2 - All swimmers must reach the Mile 2 buoy by 11:15am

Mile 3 - All swimmers must reach the Mile 3 buoy by 12:00 pm

Mile 4 - All swimmers must reach the Mile 4 buoy by 12:45 pm

COMPLETION - All 4.4 mile swimmers must be done by 1:15 pm 

If a swimmer cannot make the cutoff, they will be escorted from between the buoys to a boat, which will bring them in to the finish line. We will account for your bib number, and remove your timing chip, so that we can account for you. Please do not resist being removed from the water, as you could be in danger of other motorized vessels and will be removed by law enforcement. 

These times are subject to change, based on the official start time of the event (should we be delayed).