2024 Swim Start Wave – Click Image for Large View

Bib assignments/swimmer start times are selected by the following criteria: PLEASE READ ALL INFO BELOW

• ELITE RACERS – 64 of the top seeded racers from the past two years will be selected. These racers will split a lane for the 400-yard swim. Lane Assignments are based on bib number assigned.
• LANE BIDS – Those that purchased lane bids. These racers will split a lane for the 400-yard swim. Racers will be swimming in the shallow end only and will start after the top 64 have completed their swim.
• MOTHER/DAUGHTER & TRI-GEN TEAMS – These M/D and Tri-Gen Teams may requeste to go together if their estimated swim times are the same. Please note: accurate/honest swim estimates are extremely important to the flow of the snake swim; racers will be assigned start times around racers who have similar estimated swim times. This is a 400-yard swim; not a 500-yard swim as in past years. If you insist on going together use the slowest estimated swim time of your team. Please note: if you are a fast swimmer and choose to go at a slower time to stay with your team member we respectfully request you stay with your team member and do not pass other swimmers unless absolutely necessary.
• DEEP OR SHALLOW – By preference of shallow or deep end.
• SWIM TIMES – By estimated swim times provided during the registration process. If you swim time changes from the estimated time you entered at the time of registration, you may change you swim time by going to Manage your registration on the Registration Page of this website (deadline for changes is April 14, 2024).

Why can’t our team members all start together?

Bibs are assigned by estimated swim times to ensure the snake swim runs smoothly. Typically the swim times of team members vary greatly, meaning that team members would not have bib assignments in the same start blocks or consecutively since the bib assignments are based on each racer’s individual swim times. Racers must be on-deck during their assigned start wave and start in bib order to help the event run smoothly, but we also do not try to put all racers with faster swim times in the morning and tjoise with longer swim times in the afternoon.  We mix up the swim blocks, meaning that one swimmer with an 10 minute estimated swim time may have a start wave in the morning, and another with an estimated 10 minute swim time may start in an afternoon start wave.

We understand that this may be disappointing to not be able to have your team all start together if desired, but when trying to assign bibs for 1,600 racers to move through the pool in as smooth a manner as possible, it it simply not possible to accommodate all requests to start together. The upside is that team members can cheer each other on throughout the day!

Do racers with slower estimated swim times all go at the end of the day?
Nope! Other than seeded racers and lane bid racers, bib assignments within each start wave below are assigned based on estimated swim times from fastest to slowest within that wave.

For Example: In the wave with bibs 481-550, #481 has the fastest estimated swim time and #550 has the slowest estimated swim time for that wave. This ideally minimizes the need to pass within each wave.

Each wave has a different mix of estimated swim times. There could be a swimmer with an estimated swim time of 20 minutes going in the morning and one with an estimate swim time of 8 minutes going in the afternoon.

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