JIM MCDONNELL LAKE SWIMS

The Jim McDonnell Lake Swims are hosted by Reston Masters Swim Team and held each year on Memorial Day weekend. Reston Masters has held a lake swim every year since 1988. Except for 1997 and 2002, the swim has been held at Lake Audubon in Reston, VA.

The swim series started as the Reston 2-Mile Lake Swim and was swum along a 1/4-mile rope until 1998 when the rope length was changed to 1/2-mile. In 1999, the swim was renamed the Jim McDonnell 2-Mile Swim in honor of Reston Masters' team member Jim McDonnell, who died in 1998 of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Jim was a founding member of the team and was on the meet committee that organized the first swim.

For 2003, a 1-mile swim was added to the program and the event was renamed the Jim McDonnell Lake Swims. The course was changed from a rope course to the current 1 mile open water course with buoys pictured above (see enlarged version). Participants swim outside the buoys in a counter-clockwise direction staying between the buoys and the shore, once for the 1 mile swim and twice for the 2 mile swim. 2003 was also notable for the addition of online entries and electronic timing, courtesy of Lin-Mark Computer Sports. In 2008, we moved the online entries to Club Assistant.

Reston Masters has twice hosted U. S. Masters Swimming National Open Water Championships, the first time in 1997 (2-mile championships) and most recently in 2007 (1-mile championships). In 2010 JMLS will join three other events as part of the inaugural H₂Open Series. H₂Open is a national open water series managed and promoted by U.S. Masters Swimming. As a result of joining the series, JMLS is committed to continued growth over time. We expect to add a 3-mile race in 2011.

Charitable donations have been a part of JMLS since 1999 when part of the proceeds from the swims were donated to Lymphoma charities. Amounts given and recipients have increased over time. In 2009, donations reached an all-time high of $10,000, distributed to the following charities: Lymphoma Research Foundation, $7,000; Reston Interfaith, $1,000; Naval Special Warfare Foundation, $1,000; Tender Hearts, $1,000.