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BOWS’ Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim on SUN 6/07 7:30A-12P- Fells Point Dock – Kayak Support Request
June 7 @ 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Free
First, a new nonprofit org was founded, Baltimore Open Water Swimmers (BOWS)! The mission of BOWS is to foster community through the sport of open water swimming and advocate for healthy and accessible waterways for all. They host swim events/races, group swims/clinics, and more, while also partnering with organizations and businesses focused on water safety and environmental progress.
The first event BOWS plans to host is the Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim, with 100 swimmers (ages 18 & up), on June 7th, 2026!
Waterfront Partnership has been a big partner in making this happen, and BOWS now has the thumbs up from the Baltimore Harbormaster and Coast Guard for this June 7th event. The Fells Point floating dock and ramp will make it easy and safe for swimmers to get in and out of the water.
In addition to allowing use of the Fells Point kayak launch for the start and finish of the June 7th 1-mile swim event, CKC has partnered with BOWS to provide kayak support (i.e. swimmer spotters and nearby kayaks to be float platforms for swimmers) and experienced kayak volunteers to help with coordinating responders. Safety boats and Jetskies will function as actual responders in the case of an emergency. All support volunteers need to be at the dock by 7:30A Sunday morning.
TCR Event Management (Jason Chance) will manage the swim logistics and provide a safety briefing to all prior to the race. (TCR runs the majority of open water swims and triathlons in MD and beyond.) Swimmers will line up down the ramp (self-seeded by pace), jump feet-first into the water before the start, and will be sent off in small groups of ~10 for a staggered start. To return, they will swim through a (possibly floating) finish line and then exit the water via the ladder on the dock.
The swim start will be at 10am at the Kayak Launch in Fells @ Bond Street Wharf, and the course will hug the shoreline to Point Park and back. Buoys and 4-5 safety boats (each also staffed with a lifeguard), along with 20-25 kayakers/paddlers, will line the course to keep swimmers safe, on course, contained, and visible.
This is a very spectator friendly course, as the waterfront promenade stretches the whole way, so we are encouraging lots of people to come out and join the celebration! We anticipate this being a big press event and an exciting milestone for Baltimore! So I would also love for partner orgs to have a presence on the waterfront, and we invite you all to table with resources and engage with the community.
BOWS is hoping to also run a few casual group swims throughout the summer and fall, and we will be recruiting kayakers to join us.
Open water swimming can’t happen without amazing on water supporters, and swimmers are often first introduced to the water via paddling! I would love for our orgs to connect and partner often, and together encourage people to enjoy our beautiful harbor. It’s an exciting time for urban swimming!
Katie Pumphrey
KATIE PUMPHREY (she/her)
Founder,BOWS Baltimore Open Water Swimmers
301-639-3483
Paddlers interested in volunteering can REGISTER through this link: https://runsignup.com/
Attached is a Water Safety Fleet: VOLUNTEER PADDLER GUIDE for the Baltimore Harbor 1-Mile Swim on Sunday, June 7th.