Circuito Aguas Abiertas Lake Arenal, August 9th 2026

The third event of the Costa Rican Open Water Swimming Championship will be held at Puerto San Luis, Tilarán.

This is the only competition in the series that doesn’t take place in the ocean. At Lake Arenal, participants will experience calmer water conditions compared to the sea. However, freshwater provides less buoyancy than saltwater.

Athletes will compete in various age groups and distance options.

The championship comprises 4 races in total, with participants’ best 3 performances counting towards their final placement. Distance options: 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, and 5,000 meters.

Open water swimming is an exhilarating discipline that takes place in natural aquatic settings like oceans and lakes, rather than traditional swimming pools.

Unlike conventional pool swimming, open water competitions require swimmers to rely on visible landmarks for directional guidance and usually begin with mass starts where participants must strategically position themselves among the field. This sport has seen remarkable popularity growth in recent decades and achieved Olympic recognition in 2008, featuring the 10 kilometer marathon swim as its signature race distance.