2024 5K/10K Virtual Championship

Go looong this summer with the 2024 USMS 5K/10K Virtual Championships to be held May 15 – Sept. 15!

All participants will receive a cool latex event cap. Clubs with the most participants can win up to $300.

For a warmup, check out the 2024 Swim.com USMS Summer Fitness Challenge. It is a fun 30 minute swim to be completed in any pool or even open water between August 1-31.

These virtual events can be done individually, but isn’t it more fun with friends and teammates? Now every swimmer on your club can participate in the event that suits them. Everyone earns that post-swim donut!

Another notable change coming to the Virtual Championship is that swimmers will need to register prior to swimming. You are encouraged to register early to receive your cap sooner and beat the May 15 price increase.

Your swim can be completed anytime between May 15 – Sept. 15. Afterwards, you will need to submit your results including your splits by Sept. 17. See below for instructions. GOOD LUCK and swim fast!

Event Details

Dates: May 15 – Sept. 15
Objective: see how fast you can swim 5K and/or 10K and compare your time to fellow Masters swimmers nationwide
Location: any 50-meter pool

Eligibility

US swimmers must be a 2024 U.S. Masters Swimming member prior to registering for the event.
International swimmers must be a member of an equivalent AQUA (formerly FINA) member organization prior to registering. International entrants must submit a copy of their organization’s 2024 registration card to events@usmastersswimming.org prior to submitting results. International swimmers are not eligible for USMS records or All-American status.

Timeline

All participants must register prior to swimming the event and complete their swim between May 15 – Sept. 15.
Individual entries close Sept. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific
Individual results must be submitted by Sept. 17 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific (see below for instructions).
Relay entries open Sept. 18 and close Sept. 20 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
Split sheets for potential individual and relay national records must be emailed to Event Services by Sept. 20.
Individuals: preliminary results will be available for review by Sept. 23 and final results will be posted by Sept. 27.
Relays and clubs: preliminary results will be available for review by Sept. 25 and final results will be posted by Sept. 30.

Fees

Individual Events

April 30 – May 14 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific: $12
May 15 – Sept. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific: $15

Relay Events: $20 each

As a reminder, all USMS+ members receive complimentary entries for virtual events and many more benefits! As a USMS+ member, you will still need to register for the Virtual Championships, but you will not be charged a fee.

Fees are non-refundable. Foreign swimmers will be charged an additional $5 per event/relay. Fees must be paid by credit card and will be processed by "U.S. Masters Swimming".

Individual Results

After you've registered and swum the event (between May 15 – Sept. 15), you'll need to submit individual results by Sept. 17.

Here is the process:

First, find yourself on the Athlete Roster
Click on your name and confirm your identity with USMS member verification
Provide the following:
- Final time or your swim
- Cumulative split times of 500m for the 5K and 1000m for the 10K
- Date of your swim
- Pool name and location
- Name Contact info for your timer

Men and women compete separately in five-year age groups: 18-24, 25-29, 30-34,...., 100+. The swimmer's age on December 31, 2024 determines the age group, therefore each swimmer may only swim in one age group.

Submission of a split sheet is not required unless the swimmer is applying for an individual national record. However, split sheets may be requested for verification so keep your split sheets until final results are posted. If a requested split sheet is not provided, the individual’s entry and associated relay entries may be disqualified.

All results will be available on this page after the event. Preliminary individual results will be available for a one-week review Sept. 23. All corrections must be sent to events@usmastersswimming.org. Final individual results will be posted by Sept. 30. If two or more swimmers report the same time, a tie will be declared.

Relay Events

Relay events will be contested in three categories: three men, three women, four mixed (two men, two women).
Each relay member must have entered the individual event and be registered with the same USMS club.
Participants shall be allowed to swim in only one same-gender and one mixed-gender relay for each event—a total of two relays for one person.
The youngest relay member’s age shall determine the relay’s age group. Age groups are 18+, 25+, 35+, . . . , 95+.
The cumulative time for the individual swims is the relay time.
Unattached swimmers may not be a relay team member.
Relay entries will be open Sept. 18-20 and will show all the individual entries submitted. You will only be able to view your USMS club’s entries.

Preliminary relay results will be available for a one-week review by Sept. 25. All corrections must be sent to events@usmastersswimming.org. Final relay results will be posted by Sept. 30.

Club Participation & Prizes

Gather your friends and teammates to do this event together. Once you’ve finished your swim, trade places with your counter so everyone can join in the fun.

And did we mention the post-event donuts? Make sure you stock up – you will earn it!

USMS has marketing and promotional materials available to coaches to help get the word out about their event! Check out the social posts, sample text, and other suggestions to make your event fun for your team.

As an extra incentive, we will be offering a total of $600.
Highest total participation: 1st $300, 2nd $200, 3rd $100

Club Competition

Each club is entered automatically in the club event. Club scores are calculated on the basis of quality points, which are the ratios of each individual’s time to the corresponding USMS record for the gender and age group. The faster the swim, the more quality points a swimmer earns. A club’s point total equals the sum of the quality points of each of its swimmers. Because every swimmer receives quality points, every swimmer counts.

Individual Awards

Individual Medals: The top six finishers in each age group have the option of receiving USMS championship medals.
Relay Medals: The top three relay teams in each relay age group have the option of receiving USMS championship medals.
Championship Patch: First place finishers in each individual and relay age group also will have the option of receiving a USMS Long Distance National Championship patch. Only one patch per event per participant will be awarded.

Records

Completed split sheets for individuals and relays who think they have broken a national record must be received by Sept. 20. Email to events@usmastersswimming.org.

Rules

The 2024 USMS rules govern these events, including rules regarding swimwear.
Please note: The 5K and 10K swims are separate events and you need to swim twice to enter both. Split times from 10K may not be used for entry into the 5K.
Drafting, flotation, and propulsive devices, including but not limited to pull buoys, fins, paddles, snorkels, and wetsuits, are not permitted.
No more than two swimmers may share a lane. If a lane is shared, each swimmer must stay on one side of the lane during the entire swim (i.e., no circle swimming, avoid drafting).
A stopwatch or electronic timing system shall be used to time the event. Cumulative split times must be recorded to the nearest second on the official event split sheets which must be kept for each swimmer.
Each swimmer must have a verifier (counter) to count laps and record cumulative splits for every two pool lengths. One person may count for no more than two swimmers at one time. An adult acting as a starter/head timer/referee (and who may also be a counter) shall be present at all times during the swim.
Splits: Record cumulative split times to the nearest second (final times for national records to the nearest 100th) on the official event split sheet.
When a final time has been submitted to the nearest second, .99 second shall be added to the time submitted. When a final time has been submitted to the nearest tenth of a second, .09 second shall be added to the time submitted.
Your time will determine your order of finish. If two or more swimmers or relays report the same time, it's a tie.
No elevation adjustment shall be made.
Unsporting Conduct: Any act of fraud, deception, or dishonesty in connection with this event or knowingly providing false information including name, date of birth, age or gender in this event entry form may result in disciplinary action by USMS.