ANN ARBOR – Epic Race's Swim to the Moon is marking 10 years of short and long distance open-water swims through the Hiland Chain of Lakes near Hell, Michigan.
Just a 30 minute drive from Ann Arbor, more than 800 participants from the area take part in the annual race, which includes a half mile, 1.2 mile, 5K and 10K swim. The race originally began as a 5K swim, a distance usually associated with running.
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This year's event will take place on Aug. 18 at 9 a.m.
Ann Arbor resident James Carl D'Amour will be swimming the 10K this year. He said it's the only event of its kind in the area.
"There is nothing like it in this area, particularly Southeast Michigan," D'amour said in a statement. "This is a great and important opportunity for not only the swim community but the community at large. I see it as big as DXA2 or maybe the Detroit Marathon. Can we build it even bigger? I think we can," D'Amour said.
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Swim to the Moon also acts as a fundraiser for North Star Reach, a free camp for children living with serious medical conditions. This year, participants have already raised more than $5,000.
Eva Solomon, founder and CEO of Epic Races, said she's amazed at how much the event has grown over the years.
"I am beyond thrilled to be celebrating 10 years of Swim to the Moon and our partnership with North Star Reach," Solomon said in a statement. "When we had this idea 11 years ago, I wasn’t sure we would be able to gather enough people to actually have a 5K swim event. We had about 300 swimmers that year. We now have over 800 swimmers and more than 200 participating in the 10K."
To register for the event, click here.
Lifeguards and volunteers in kayaks will be monitoring the race. At each mile mark there will be aid stations with Gu, Gatorade and water.
For more information, visit epicraces.com/events/swim-to-the-moon.
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