Historic Return: Hundreds Dive into the Seine for First Organized Race in 80 Years
Hundreds of swimmers plunged into the Seine near the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, 12 July 2026, for the 'Open Swim Harmonie Mutuelle' – the first major organized swimming competition on the river in nearly 80 years.
On Sunday, 12 July 2026, Paris witnessed a historic sporting event: the 'Open Swim Harmonie Mutuelle', the first large-scale organized swimming race on the Seine since the 1940s. Hundreds of swimmers jumped into the river near the Eiffel Tower and swam downstream, passing iconic landmarks as crowds lined the banks to cheer.
The flagship course was an 8.5-kilometre route from the Bibliothèque nationale de France to Quai de Grenelle, with shorter 1km and 2km options as well. At the finish line, many participants raised their arms in triumph before collecting their medals.
Co-organizer and Olympic medallist Stéphane Caron noted that the water quality of the Seine now meets exceptionally high standards. The event was founded in 2012 by a group of former French swimmers, including Caron, and has been supported by insurer Harmonie Mutuelle for the past 11 years. Previous editions were held on the Canal de l'Ourcq, where 500-metre and 5-kilometre races took place on Saturday as part of the same weekend.
