Lake Murray Dam Swim

Date: September 16, 2023

Location: Lexington Side of the Dam at the Dominion Energy Park at
1888 North Lake Drive • Lexington, SC 29072

Time: Check in at 7:15 am and pre race meeting at 8 am.

Eligibility: Open to all athletes ages 11 and older as of September 17, 2023

Time to Swim: Swimmers have 90 minutes to complete the race from the time they enter the water. After 90 minutes, you will be pulled out of the water and returned to land.

Detailed Instructions
About The Swim

Check-in/Late Registration

1. Check-in starts at 7:15 a.m. on the Lexington Side of the Dam at the Dominion Energy Park.  (1888 North Lake Drive • Lexington, SC 29072). Registered participants will receive a labeled bag with a numbered cap, additional labels, electronic timing chip, and T-shirt (with late registration if available). Late Entry closes at 7:45 a.m. 

Swimmers not checked in by 8:00 a.m. will NOT be permitted to participate.

2.  There are NO changes to heats/groups for the event.  All swimmers are numbered wearing color caps by heat/group.

 Changes for Annual Lake Murray Dam Swim:

We no longer accept request to swim with other swimmers due to our size and logistics.   

Seniors of sponsor teams are the exception. 

 Heats will be based on 500 times listed on registration. Swimmers will be placed in groups to maximize efficiency of race. No swim buddy request.

 3. Once checked in, swimmers will need to get numbered with marker on back shoulder blade and upper arms at next pavilion. Electronic timing chips must be strapped on the participant’s ankle. Luggage tag with swimmer information must be added to personal swim bag.  Race bag with shirt should be secured in bag. Caps must be worn for race start & swim across Lake Murray for water event safety.

4.  Swimmers have two options for leaving swim bag:

a.  Swim participants can elect to leave their swim bag at the Bag Check Pavilion located on the Lexington Side of Dam. 

b.  Swim participants can take their swim bag to the Irmo side of the Dam on the bus.  Then put in the back of a truck to be transported back to the Lexington side and placed at the Bag Check Pavilion with Event staff volunteers

Lake Murray Dam Swim committee is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.  Valuables should not be left unattended at lake. Valuable items should be left in locked car.

5. Swimmers will attend the Pre-Race Meeting at the finish line on the Lexington beach side at 8:15 a.m. for course highlights, meet instructions, national anthem, and prayer.

6. Swimmers load buses by groups at 8:30 a.m. and will be checked off as they enter.

 Start Procedures   

  • Immediately following the Pre-Race Meeting, ALL swimmers will begin to board the shuttle busses by heat for transport to the Irmo side of the dam. Groups 1 – 4 will be loaded first. 

  • Once on Irmo side of the Dam, heats will report directly to the clerk of course for safety check-in. Participants may keep personal bags and clothing with them until instructed to line up at dock entrance. 

  • Prior to entering the dock, swimmers should put any personal bags in the provided equipment truck/van for transport back to the Lexington side of the dam to Bag Check Pavilion with event staff. Participant should ensure that additional label provided is securely adhered to the exterior of the bag. (Lake Murray Dam Swim committee is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. Valuables should not be left unattended at lake. Volunteers will be with swim bags on Lexington side and distribute based on swim number.)

  • Each Swim Heat/Group will be individually sent down the dock for race start, which will be held every 3 minutes. Referee will line up swimmers on dock, review course outline, and start procedure using audible sound and visible que for start as well as safety aspects available on the course.

  • First group of swimmers start around: 9:00 a.m.

 

Two-Mile Water Race Course

Swimmers will leave the dock at the start. Buoy markers will be on swimmers left. Stationary boaters & Sailboats will be on the race participant’s right. Escorting kayakers will be on the swimmers left and right. Race lane is between boats and buoy markers/kayakers. Swimmers must stay to the right of the buoy markers. Buoys and sailboats are set with equal spacing approximately every 1/4 mile.  Meet Referee will review safety and course prior to start on dock. Swimmers have 90 minutes to complete swim. If not close to finish line, law enforcement boater will have swimmer removed from water and returned to Irmo Boat Landing for pick up. 

 

Swim FINISH

Swimmers must swim through the Finish Chute at the beach on the Lexington side.  Swimmers must exit the water and run across the timing mat under the Finish Sign to constitute an official finish. Note: All Competitors must exit the Finish area and return the electronic timing anklet.

A swim cut off time will be 1 hour 30 minutes after the respective heat start time.

 

RACE HOSPITALITY

A Hospitality bag with associated food items and water bottle are available following the race for PARTICIPANTS ONLY, please. Hospitality pavilion will be located behind the Finish area by parking lot in a Pavilion. 

 

Pictures

Lake Murray Dam Swim reserves the rights to any pictures posted on any of their social media websites. 

SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN

Lex Co Sheriff’s Marine Patrol (with paramedic on board), Richland Co Sheriff’s Marine Patrol, Columbia Fire Department Rescue Squad (in zodiacs), Irmo Fire Department (in zodiacs), Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Dept. Natural Resources Officers will be on the course in the event of emergency. Escorting Kayakers will move with groups to communicate with swimmers and keep swimmers on course. America’s Boating Club of Lake Murray and Lake Murray Yacht Racing Association (LMYRA) sailboats will help with safety and communication. DNR boats and a Lexington County Sheriff Marine Task Force patrol boat will be on the lake to assist and only these boats permitted to move on the water.  Kickboards and Life Jackets are available to swimmers from kayakers and boaters throughout the event.

If anyone is unable to complete the event or needs assistance, kayakers can help a swimmer to a boat. Once in a boat, the swimmer will be disqualified and transported to the Irmo Dock for immediate medical assistance and/or exit from the event. Swimmers may not be pulled by kayakers with the exception of exiting/stopping the event on the way to a boat. 

Lexington County Sheriff’s Deputies will be on land at the Dominion Energy park entrance gate, walker’s gate exiting the park, and at the walker’s parking lot at Hwy 6 by entrance to dam sidewalk for traffic and safety control.

 Weather

Rain will not stop the swim as swimmers will get WET.

If necessary, an announcement of weather delay will be made at 7:30 a.m. by Meet Officials. This will be posted by email to all swimmers registered, boaters, kayakers, Law Enforcement, and volunteers. The information will only be posted to the Lake Murray Dam Swim site if there is a delay or alternative plan. Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for information. 

 First Aid

First Aid will be available at the Hospitality Pavilion. A Site Nurse will be on hand in the event medical assistance is required. In the event of an emergency, an ambulance is positioned on the Irmo side at the boat landing and available if needed. On the water, medical assistance is available through Lexington County Fire & Rescue and Irmo Fire Department on Zodiacs. Water Paramedic will be on board Lexington County Marine Task Force boat.

Dominion Energy Lexington Park

Dominion Energy has kindly agreed to allow the use of the facility. Please make sure to take your personal belongings and trash with you. Park gate will be LOCKED immediately following the event approximately 11:30 a.m. Cars left in the gate will require assistance from police to enter. 

 

Complete Event Management Safety Plan is available upon request.

  

Note: The Lake Murray Dam Swim
WILL NOT be responsible for any lost or stolen items.