Swim The World

The 2026 SwimTrek Swim the World virtual swim challenge has started!

Swim the World - Week 1 - Hero Banner 1600x400.png

Over 400 teams from around the world are already taking part, and since 1 November have together already swum almost 7,000km!

We started in the Galapagos Islands, swam past Costa Rica, Belize, Mexico and across the Caribbean past St Kitts & Nevis. We're now almost across the Atlantic Ocean, quickly coming up to the Canary Islands!

Check out the latest leaderboard:

2026 SWIM THE WORLD LEADERBOARD >

Join the world’s most ambitious virtual swim and help us raise funds to save our seas.

Since 1 November, swimmers from all around the world have been diving into their local waters to swim for a good cause.

Together we’re aiming to collectively swim 45,000 kilometres – all the way around the world starting and ending in the Galapagos Islands - swimming east through the Caribbean, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and the Pacific, visiting some of our favourite swimming spots along the way.

Join our community as we jump into pools, rivers, lakes, seas and oceans around the world this November to swim for a good cause.

It’s free to take part, and for every swimmer who joins we’ll donate US$5 to our partner charity Seatrees, to support their amazing work in protecting our seas and oceans.

So rally your swim friends, grab your goggles, and help us swim the world – all for a good cause!

Tell us how far you've swum so far

Already swimming? You can now send us your solo or team distance for the week of 1-8 November. And on Monday 9 November we'll share an update on the total distance swum so far and the latest leaderboard.

SEND US YOUR TEAM'S DISTANCE UPDATE >

There's still time to register and take part this year!

REGISTER TO TAKE PART >

SwimTheWorld

When

1-30 November 2026

Where

Your local swim spot – anywhere in the world!

Swim anywhere you like, it's your pool, local open water swimming spot, or even on a SwimTrek holiday.

Team Targets

60km or more per team.

But every metre counts, so even if you swim less we still want you to take part!

The Goal

Collectively swim 45,000km! That’s 2,000 participants swimming 22.5km each. We know you can do it!

REGISTER TO TAKE PART >

SwimTheWorld

How To Take Part

Swimmers from around the world can gather teams of up to 6 swimmers - or take part solo, if you prefer - to contribute to our collective monthly target of 45,000 kilometres swum from 1-30 November:

  • Swim solo, or assemble a pod of up to 6 swimmers.

  • For every swimmer in your team, we will donate US$5 to Seatrees. It's up to you if you also want to use this swim to make individual donations too, or fundraise for a charity of your choosing.

  • Swim together and contribute to our monthly target of swimming around the planet (keep an eye on the map on our weekly posts).

  • Share your journey with us @swimtrek and #SwimTheWorld

REGISTER TO TAKE PART >

The Challenge

Can we really swim 45,000km in a month? Absolutely!

In 2025, we collectively swam 41,516km - 103% of our goal. And that was with 1,788 participants, each swimming an average of 23km over the month of November.

If we can get to 2,000 swimmers or more this year, then 45,000km is more than achievable. And, of course, the more swimmers, the more we donate to Seatrees!

How It Works

This is a virtual swim, where everyone takes part by swimming in their local swim spot – whether that’s a pool, river, lake, sea or ocean, or even on a SwimTrek holiday.

You just need to swim as much as you can during November, as part of a team or solo, and keep track of your distances in whatever way is easiest for you. You don’t need to have a smart watch or Strava account to take part. We trust you!

Swimming Distances

To reach our goal, we need every team to aim to swim 60km or more during November.

If every person taking part can swim between 20km and 60km, we’ll be able to reach our target of swimming all the way around the world, via the scenic route!

Supporting Seatrees

Joining this year's Swim the World challenge means that you're doing more than just swimming. You're also supporting and creating awareness for the great work done by Seatrees, and helping protect the seas we all love!

Seatrees is a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring and protecting coastal ecosystems globally. It enables people and brands to “plant Seatrees” – supporting projects in mangroves, coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, coastal watersheds, and shellfish reefs around the world. Through subscriptions, partnerships, and donations, Seatrees funds conservation work carried out by local communities and scientific collaborators.

Seatrees does fantastic work to help protect and restore marine ecosystems. The work they do directly impacts the places we love to swim, and we have been supporting their efforts since 2023.

For the first 2,000 people who take part in our 2026 Swim the World challenge, SwimTrek will donate US$5 to Seatrees and help support their amazing work in protecting marine ecosystems.

1% for the Planet

SwimTrek is a member of 1% for the Planet, and Seatrees is a 1% for the Planet partner initiative.

We have partnered with 1% for the Planet to ensure that as our business continues to grow, we can encourage a more positive environmental impact. 1% for the Planet membership is a commitment to accountability, partnership building and doing better for both people and the planet.

As a member of 1% for the Planet, we are committed to giving back 1% of our sales (not profits) to environmental causes.

Let’s raise some money for the environment and #SwimTheWorld together!