Donner Lake Open Water Swim – Race Information
2.7 Miles
Saturday August 10, 2024 at 8:30 am
Water Temp: 65 -68°
Truckee, CA
Altitude: 5933 ft.
Sanctioned by Pacific Masters Swimming for USMS, Inc. Sanction number 384-W001
Poor Air Quality May Affect This Year’s Race
Air Quality Statement
Air quality can be affected by wildfires, if the air quality index, AQI PM 2.5, is above 150 prior to the start of the race on Saturday, August 10, 2024, the race will be cancelled per USMS and Pacific Masters Swimming guidance. Again, all entry fees are nonrefundable, nondeferrable, and nontransferable. An air quality determination will be made to the best of our judgement and will not necessarily rely upon any single air quality website or data input. We defer a decision regarding AQI conditions until race morning, as conditions can change rapidly.
LOCATION: Donner Lake, Truckee, CA. Located 35 miles west of Reno, NV and 100 miles east of Sacramento, CA. via Interstate 80. The start is at the east end of the lake by Donner Memorial State Park; the finish is at West End Beach.
COURSE: Straight, point-to-point, 2.7 miles. Expect water temperature 65 – 68 degrees. Altitude is 5933 ft.
WARNING: Participants should be adequately trained for this competition, which combines high altitude, cool water temperatures, and a lengthy swim. Previous experience in similar conditions is highly recommended.
SWIM PROCEDURES: Pre-race instructions at 8:15 AM followed by a beach start at 8:30. A 2-hour 30-minute time limit will be STRICTLY enforced. If you fail to finish the race within the time limit, you will be disqualified and removed from the water. There are NO EXCEPTIONS; you will be removed from the water after 2 hours and 30 minutes.
COVID: The Donner Lake Swim will be following USMS, local and state COVID guidelines. Swimmers must follow these guidelines to participate in the swim.
SWIMWEAR: Category I suits (suits made from textile materials, shall not cover the neck and shall not extend past the shoulder nor below the ankles, no clasps or zippers). Category II suits (wetsuits or technical suites – Speedo Lazer, Blue 70s, rash guards and arm bands, no tape on the body). More information can be found on the US Masters Swimming website in the US Masters Swimming Rule Book, Part 3, pages 72-73.
ENTRIES: This event is open to 450 swimmers. Non-refundable, non-deferrable, non-transferable entry fees are $85 per person if you pre-register; $ 150 per person, for registration on race day. Registration opens June 5, 2024 at 9:00 AM. Registration for this event will only be available at ClubAssistant. Your credit card will be charged by DonnerLakeSwim.org for this meet. No mail in entries will be accepted. Online registration closes August 1, 2024. If the Donner Lake Open Water Swim sells out before race day, there will be NO race-day registration.
DIVISIONS: Masters divisions 18-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc.; male and female. No entrants under 18 years of age are permitted.
ELIGIBILITY: Current USMS rules will govern the race. All race participants must be age 18 or older and be currently-registered members of U.S. Masters Swimming. To join USMS, go to https://www.usms.org/join-usms/join-or-renew
CHECK-IN: Check-in and race day registration will begin at 6:30 AM and close at 8:00 AM. Only registered swimmers who have checked in are permitted to participate in the swim; any swimmer not checked in at 8:00 am will be scratched. Check-in is off Donner Pass Road between Donner Memorial state park and Tahoe Donner beach club entrances (portable toilets on the side of the road are a good landmark to look for). A map of the check-in area is available on the Donner Lake Swim website near the bottom of the home page.
SHIRTS: Shirts may be ordered (information coming soon).
AWARDS: Awards given to top three finishers in each age group for Category I swimmers. All entrants will receive an official race cap and post-race refreshments. There are no awards for Category II swimmers.
PARKING: This is a point-to-point swim with parking available in designated parking areas at the start and at the finish. At the start of the race, you may park on the south side of Donner Pass Road (absolutely NO parking on the north side of Donner Pass Road). Please do not park at Donner Memorial State Park due to another event within the park. At the finish, you may park at the West End Beach parking lot. A shuttle will operate between the start and finish from 6:30 AM to noon. Spectators must pay the West End Beach admission fee. Animals are not allowed in the park.
TIMING: Timing for this event will be provided by Lynn Mentzer.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Accommodations in the area are limited, so make your reservations early! Campers should call 800-444-PARK for reservations for Donner Memorial State Park (located at the start of the race).
SAFETY: Bright colored caps will be provided and must be worn during the swim. The course will be patrolled by safety craft, both motorized and non-motorized. Life jackets and “man in water” flags are required on all craft. Complete safety information for swimmers can be found on the Event Safety page. Please read carefully!
KAYAK: If you want to kayak for the race, contact James Conkey.
EQUIPMENT: The use of fins, pull buoys or other swimming devices shall not be permitted except that soft hand paddles may be used as a prosthesis, if they do not present a safety hazard to the other swimmers
MOTORIZED BOATS: If you wish to volunteer to have a motorized boat on the water, please contact Patty Parlato.
WARM-UP: A designated warm-up area will be provided from 8:00 – 8:15 am. All swimmers wishing to warm-up prior to the race must do so in the designated warm-up area.
RACE DIRECTOR: Laura Harsh. Contact Laura.
RACE START: All swimmers must be out of the water at 8:15 am.
Registration and Finish Areas Maps
