Swim Around Key West, live.

12.5 miles around the island

The Swim Around Key West is a 12.5 mile endurance swim clockwise around the island of Key West, Florida, starting and finishing at Higgs Beach.

The 51st annual swim is on Saturday 5 June 2027, with the start at 08:00 from Higgs Beach on Atlantic Boulevard. Registration and a mandatory pre-race meeting take place at Higgs Beach the afternoon before, and the awards and raffle follow on the beach after the swim. Entries close on 9 April 2027.

The organisers explain that the swim relies on the tides around the island, which is why dates and start times change from year to year. The start is set so swimmers can catch helpful tide rides through the channels on the way around.

There are three categories: solo swimmers, capped at 150, and 2 person and 3 person relay teams, capped at 10 each. Once a category is full it closes, with no waiting list. Every swimmer must arrange a support kayaker with a seaworthy kayak, and local rental companies can deliver a kayak with the required safety gear to Higgs Beach on race morning.

This is a swim for experienced open-water swimmers who are comfortable with several hours in the sea. Any profit goes to the Florida Keys Children's Shelter. There is an 8 hour time limit, and drinks and refreshments wait on the beach as the swimmers arrive.

On Livebib you can follow a swimmer live if they choose to share their own position from the phone they carry, for example with their support kayaker. That position comes from the participant, not from the organiser's timing, and the official results are published by the organiser.