1-Mile Swim Workout Rules

In the 1-Mile Swim Open, contestants compete to see who can complete a 1-mile swim (1,500 meters or 1,650 yards) the fastest. Participants can use any pool. They must provide the exact length of the pool (in yards, feet, or meters) and use the Swim Lap Calculator to determine the exact number of laps needed to finish the mile swim.

Swim Lap Calculator

Workout Rules

To be considered for the podium and cash prizes, all competitors in the 1-Mile Swim 2025 Open must adhere to the following rules and complete the workout within the 1-hour time cap.

• The clock starts once the athlete dives into the pool or pushes off the wall.
• Participants must touch the wall on every turn. Flip turns are permitted.
• Swimmers may use any swimming strokes and can switch strokes at any time.
• Swimmers cannot use the pool floor or lane dividers for assistance.
• Athletes cannot use speed-enhancement devices such as flippers.
• No flotation devices are allowed, including life jackets, floaties, or wetsuits.
• No breathing apparatuses are allowed, such as snorkels.
• At the beginning of the workout video, athletes must state the length of their pool and the required number of laps.
• The athlete must swim the number of laps generated by the Donor Games 1-mile lap calculator. Athletes will be required to submit the length of their pool and the number of laps calculated with each video submission. A lap is defined as 2 lengths of the pool—from one end to the other and back.
• If an athlete swims additional laps beyond 1 mile, their final time will be recorded based on the last lap required to complete the 1-mile distance.
• The participant’s camera must be set up to capture the entire lap in the competition video, including both endpoints.*
• Athletes are responsible for self-timing their workout, either with an app (e.g., WETime, SmartWOD Timer, WOD Tracker) or by having a gym clock or iPad with a timer clearly visible throughout the swim.
• Donor Games judges recommend having an individual count laps for you during your workout.

If you are unsure of your camera angle, you are welcome to submit a short sample video via the Donor Games app up to one week before the competition opens. Judges will review your video and either approve your camera angle or provide guidance on how to correct it. 

Competition Rules

1. Eligibility
   1. All athletes must be 18 years or older as of the close of registration for the competition.
   2. All athletes must agree to the Donor Games Consent Agreement and adhere to the Workout Rules and Competition Rules herein.
   3. Athletes must submit their full workout video at any time during the competition window: from July 23 to July 29, 2026, at 6:00 PM ET.
   4. Athletes may submit up to 3 workout videos in total throughout the competition.
      1. Competitors may submit no more than 1 video within any 24-hour period.
      2. If an additional workout video is disqualified, it does not impact the rank/eligibility of a previously approved workout video.
   5. Athletes must be willing to accept prize winnings via ACH. Failure to provide ACH payment information within 1 week of the official prize-winning notification will result in forfeiture of the cash prize. All prize winnings will be dispersed within 2 weeks of the official prize-winning notification from the Donor Games.
   6. General athletes who compete a modified workout are not eligible for cash prizes.
2. Judging
   1. Failure to perform the exercises according to the guidelines will result in disqualification.
   2. Judges’ decisions are final.
   3. Judges may reject an athlete’s workout video due to improper form, failure to complete the workout, copyright infringements, or any other issues that arise in review of the workout.
   4. If a workout attempt is disqualified, the athlete maintains their eligibility to submit a new competition video as per 1d above.