2023 Odyssey Rat Race Recap

The second Odyssey Rat Race took place on Saturday, September 23 at McNears Beach, and we’re excited to share a brief recap of the event with you and the open water swimming community.

A group of nearly 40 swimmers started at McNears Beach, entered the water, and headed out towards Rat Rock Island. The 3K race came to an end after swimmers completed the loop around Rat Rock and returned to the shore at McNears Beach.

After the finish, swimmers received awards and enjoyed a catered meal (tacos).

The Results

All participants finished in under two hours. Congratulations to all!

Other Tidbits

We were joined by photographer Robbie Longan, who is currently finalizing pictures from the swim to share. Stay tuned for a full album and video recap.

This was the second ever Odyssey Rat Race. The swim was developed by Odyssey’s Coach Christina, who came up with the idea, mapped out the course, and coached swimmers on how to tackle this unique challenge over the past several months.

Captain Taylor on Glory, the Odyssey Open Water Swimming Safety Boat

The support team for this year’s event included paddlers Joel and Elio, Captain Taylor, Odyssey Founder Warren, and more!

The weather made this year’s race a fun challenge for participants. There was an ebb (outgoing) current that increased throughout the morning. Swimmers fought against the current on the way toward the island and then had a nice boost from the current when returning to the beach. The waves were also an obstacle and noticeably larger than during last year’s event.

Next up is the Odyssey Bay Bridge Swim, and space is still available in the swim. Learn more and register here!