Swimmers sought for 10 Mile Relay benefit

The 15th edition of the La Jolla Cove 10 Mile Relay, “A Celebration of Swimming and Community Giving,” is planned to take place 7 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25. The event was not held in 2014 due to the construction at the Cove, and while the current sea lion situation is less than ideal, relay organizers are hoping that will not diminish the overall enjoyment had by all.

This annual charity swim event benefits the American Diabetes Association and the San Diego Junior Lifeguard Foundation.

The event consists of teams of up to five members each swimming a 1-mile course in La Jolla Cove in a relay fashion. Each member swims two legs to complete the 10 miles. Some entrants tackle the whole 10 miles, solo.

The teams give themselves names like “Eat Our Bubbles,” “Shark Bait,” “Will Swim for Happy Hour” and “Swims Like Jagger” and engage in friendly competition across nine different categories based on the collective age of the team members.

In 2015, the event set a record with 97 teams, 12 solo swimmers and more than 435 participants; and donated $17,300 to its beneficiary organizations.

“This is one of the premier open water swim events of the year and routinely considered one of the most fun,” said Tom Hecker, one of the event directors, and himself a seasoned open water swimmer having completed the English Channel, the Catalina Channel, and Around Manhattan swims.

“It is a unique format that allows for camaraderie among the teams during the event while showcasing beautiful La Jolla Cove. Last year, 40 percent of participants were from outside San Diego County.”

Registrations are running ahead of last year’s pace, which may indicate that 100-plus teams may be in the offing for this year. The cost is $60 per swimmer. The swag includes swim caps, a longsleeve race T-shirt, refreshments and post-race snack, give-aways from local merchants and more.

More details at lj10milerelay.com or e-mail Tom Hecker or John Heffner via lj10milerelay@gmail.com