Great Chesapeake Bay Swim Lottery Opens Today

Linda Toretsky, co-founder of LIN-MARK Computer Sports, provided the following state-by-state count of 747 swimmers from 36 states who were selected in the 2008 Great Chesapeake Bay Swim.

The 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim is limited to 650 entrant's by the U.S. Coast Guard. This number is an amount set by which the U.S. Coast Guard estimates they can pull swimmers out of the water during the event if the weather or water pose an undue danger. An extra number of swimmers are selected through the lottery due to no-shows on race day.

Previously, the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim offered a first-come, first-serve online entry system, but this system led to a stressful mad rush to enter. Under this system, the maximum allowable swimmers was reached within 45 minutes. Under the management of LIN-MARK Computer Sports, the event now offers a lottery process that enables an orderly, more stress-free entry process.

There is also a 1-mile Bay Challenge that is becoming more popular with a maximum of 450 swimmers.

The entries for the 2008 Great Chesapeake Bay Swim demonstrate the event is popular throughout the open water swimming communities across the U.S.

1. Alaska - 1
2. Alabama - 1
3. Arkansas - 3
4. Arizona - 1
5. California - 8
6. Colorado - 11
7. Connecticut - 18
8. District of Columbia - 50
9. Delaware - 7
10. Florida - 6
11. Georgia - 1
12. Illinois - 1
13. Kansas - 1
14. Massachusetts - 20
15. Maryland - 285
16. Maine - 1
17. Minnesota - 1
18. Missouri - 3
19. Mississippi - 1
20. North Carolina - 18
21. Nebraska - 4
22. New Hampshire - 5
23. New Jersey - 35
24. New Mexico - 1
25. New York - 28
26. Ohio - 6
27. Pennsylvania - 69
28. Rhode Island - 5
29. South Carolina - 1
30. Tennessee - 1
31. Texas - 4
32. Virginia - 143
33. Vermont - 1
34. Washington - 1
35. West Virginia - 3
36. Wyoming - 1

Photo by Elizabeth Malby of the Baltimore Sun.

Copyright © 2008 by World Open Water Swimming Association