The 108-year-old race welcomed crowds of capped swimmers into the water.
The La Jolla Cove Swim kept its history afloat as hundreds of swimmers took part in the second-oldest open water swim in the country Sept. 8.
Sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla, the nonprofit event is broken into different waves of distances and ages.
The three-mile Leopard Swim for adults began at 8 a.m.; the 250-meter Garibaldi Groms swim for children 8-12 began at 10:30 a.m.; the most popular, one-mile Sea Lion Swim for ages 13 and up began at 11:30.
Adult entrants also signed up for the Whole Enchilada swim, the one- and three-mile races together.
Swimmers donned race caps and ankle chips and made their way across the water and back, participating in an award ceremony for all three events.
“It’s an event like no other,” avid swimmer Eric Fletcher said of his second year participating in the one-mile race. “It’s so cool participating in a swim that’s been a part of La Jolla history since 1916.”
More than 700 participants dove into The Cove during the event, he said. “Despite the heat, we were all in a great mood.”
Fletcher said swimmers raced alongside sea lions and schools of fish.
“It was a perfect day,” he said, adding thanks for the volunteers who helped the event run smoothly.
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