NC Open Water Championships

The NC Open Water Championships, held in late May at Lake Echo in Seven Lakes, North Carolina, is an open-water swim meet. Races begin from 114 Edgewater Drive in West End. The event features four distances: a 400-meter Splash and Dash, an 800-meter swim, a 2K, and a 3K. Participants must be registered with U.S. Masters Swimming. Masters entrants compete on the same schedule as USA Swimming athletes but in separate waves, with Masters swimmers starting in the final wave for each event. All races commence in the water and conclude on land, incorporating left-hand buoy turns. The 400-meter course is a direct path along the dam. The 800-meter race follows a small triangle layout parallel to the dam. The 2K and 3K courses are constructed using a 1K counterclockwise triangle, with turns made over the left shoulder. Swimmers may enter multiple distances at a reduced rate for additional events. Timing chips are distributed at the race venue. Saturday participants receive a T-shirt and a chicken sandwich per individual, not per event.