The 2nd Annual Global Swim Series Championships are coming up in a couple months at the end of May and it’s time to start getting excited.  This year the event will be over a 2-day format on May 26-27th, 2018. Once again the El Cruce race will be the venue in beautiful Cancun, Mexico. Last year was a great event and this year, our partner Global Swim Series (GSS) has been working hard with the organizers in Mexico to make it even bigger and better!

So in case you needed any further convincing on why you should sign up today, here’s a few highlights:

1) The Venue 

You could argue that just about anywhere in the Caribbean Sea is a great spot for an open water swim and the venue in Cancun certainly takes advantage of the beautiful blue Caribbean waters. The race starts on a white sand beach in the hotel district in Cancun. On Saturday, the Cancun Mile and the Cancun Iron Swim (3.8km) will both be run from the beach here. On Sunday, for the full El Cruce 10km crossing, swimmers will start at the beach here and swim across the channel to the beautiful island of Ilsa Mujeres. It is an epic crossing with clear waters along the way going over a couple coral reefs and passing by the beautiful underwater museum.


2) Be Part of History

Come swim in the world’s largest 10km. Last year there were just over 600 swimmers in the 10km. This year 580 athletes have already registered for the 10km alone with a cap at 1,000 swimmers. As far as we can tell in our research this is the largest 10km open water swim on the planet and we’re excited to break last year’s record! Come help GSS be a part of history!

3) The GSS All-Stars

Have you always wanted to get a chance to swim with some of the best in the world? Or maybe you just want a chance to meet some accomplished swimmers and grab an autograph? Well there’s some star power coming down to Cancun this May! GSS has introduced a current lineup of 6 GSS All-Stars that will be both swimming the race and doing an autograph meet and greet at the race expo. The big names include world record holder and multiple Olympic Medalist Rebecca Soni, Olympic bronze medalist Caroline Burckle. There’s also defending champion of last year’s global championships & 2008 Olympian Luis Escobar, 1988 Canadian Olympian Don Haddow, two-time Olympian Patricia Kohlmann (’84 & ’88) and Nora Toledano, the first Latin American woman to complete a double-crossing of the English Channel.

Kai Harper fitness photographs

4) New Distances!

In previous years of El Cruce there has been 10km crossing and a 3km swim where swimmers jumped off a ferry to complete the crossing.  This year, they have introduced 2 brand new distances and added an extra day of excitement to race weekend! On Saturday, there will be the Cancun Mile (1.6km) and the Cancun Iron Swim (3.8km). Sunday will feature the classic full 10km El Cruce (or the Crossing). With new distances there’s something for everyone, not to mention even the option of doing multiple distances for those really looking to challenge themselves!

5) The Weather 

If the sun and tropical heat is your thing, then Mexico in May is going to be the perfect place to be! Thinking of our Northern Hemisphere swimmers coming out of the middle of winter right now, having a tropical destination to look forward to might just be what you need to get through the remaining months of cold. The swim doesn’t allow wetsuits and last year’s water temperature was near perfect.


6) A Chance to Take Part in a Premier Event

The beauty of the Global Swim Series is that their member races come in all shapes and sizes and that’s something that we love. There are some events around the world that are truly premier in terms of size and organization, this event offers swimmers the chance to experience that. There are over 1,000 swimmers, a race expo at the Cancun convention, awards, music, race safety, organization and much more!


7) Start 2018-19 with Some GSS Points! 

With the new GSS season beginning May 1st this is your chance to start the season off at the top of the Global Rankings.

8) Affordable Travel Destination

Picking a location for a championship event when you’re operating a global series is tricky. That said, Cancun offers a tropical destination setting that is also quite affordable for a swim getaway. There’s plenty of deals online for hotels and flights from just about all corners of the globe!

9) The Beach

Ok, ok this is kind of a repeat of the weather & venue entries above but come on, look at that beach!


10) Challenge Yourself!

Are you looking for a chance to challenge yourself and take your open water swimming to the next level? A tropical destination swim can be the perfect motivator to get in shape and set new goals. With new distances this year there’s an opportunity for swimmers of all levels to have a fun challenge in Cancun.

So be sure to sign up, start your training and book your ticket to Cancun in May!
This article was written in collaboration with our partner, Global Swim Series. MySwimPro is the official 2018 swim training app of the Global Swim Series – the largest swim series in the world, with a wide selection of incredible open water swimming races that cater to swimmers of all abilities. To learn more about our partnership, click here.
If you’re looking for swim workouts or an Open Water Swimming Training Plan, download the MySwimPro app!

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