FAQs
Traditional Swim FAQs (2.5k, 5k, 10k)
What is the expected water temperature for the swims?
The temperature for the recent swims was between 73-76 degrees. The expected water temperature in the Hague area is usually in the low 70s in late August. We will post specific readings in the days leading into the event. Historic air temperature ranges between 60-85 throughout the day. It may be chilly in the morning so bring warm clothes.
What type of swimwear is acceptable for Wetsuit/Non-Wetsuit?
We follow USMS rules for the Cat 1 (Non-Wetsuit) and Cat 2 (Wetsuit) divisions. Please see pages 72-73 of the USMS rulebook here. Non-wetsuit category is standard "speedos", swim trunks and bathing suits made from textile materials. Wetsuit includes any non-textile suit that enables flotation, warmth, etc.
Swimmers are not allowed to wear or use devices that help their speed, pace, navigation, buoyancy, or endurance during a swim (such as webbed gloves, fins, snorkels, buoyant armbands, audio players, etc.).
I need to change my wetsuit/non-wetsuit category. How do I do this?
You can change your division up to 72 hours prior to the event. Do do this:
- Visit https://runsignup.com/Profile
- Scroll to "Upcoming Events" and select "Manage Registration" for the Lake George Swim
- In the left menu, click "Questions"
- Select "Wetsuit" or "Non-Wetsuit"
Is there a charity involved?
We contribute money to the Hague Volunteer Fire Department.
Where is lodging available?
Please see the lodging page.
Where can we park?
There are several places to park. If there is space you can park in the open field directly across the road from the Hague beach parking lot. Signs will be posted. Please do not park in the Hague beach parking lot as those spots are reserved for residents and other visitors. Our thanks to Addison Corporation for allowing us the use of this facility. You can also park just up the street in town in the community parking lots. Signs will be posted.
What sort of evidence is required for the 5k and 10k?
Please submit evidence of having completed a swim of 2/3rds the distance of your chosen event (applies to 5k and 10k). Evidence may be submitted when you register and should include the date, venue, distance and time it took you to complete your swim. A link to previous race result is fine. These swims should be in open water and they may happen in or out of competition.
What safety plans do you have in place?
Safety is our #1 priority and we are focused on making the Lake George Swims as safe and fun as possible for our swimmers. We have lifeguards, kayakers and motorcraft around the swim course providing oversight and keeping recreational boaters away from the course. Water safety support is being provided by Hague Fire Department, Lake George Coast Guard Auxiliary, Warren County Sheriff's Office, contracted maritime consultants and volunteer kayakers and boaters. A Hague ambulance unit will be on shore with EMTs.
Is anyone interested in carpooling?
We recommend reaching out to others on our Facebook page to see if anyone else would like to carpool. If you don't have a Facebook page send us a message with the details of your needs.
What kind of swag/awards are there?
All registrants/finishers receive an event shirt, swim cap and are eligible for awards. Awards categories are announced the week of the event.
What is there to do throughout the weekend?
Hague is a beautiful hamlet located on the northern end of Lake George. Fort Ticonderoga is 10 minutes to the north. Lake George Village is 30 minutes south. Hague Public Beach is a family-friendly venue with bathroom facilities, a playground for the kids and a roped-off swim area for the public (monitored by lifeguards during regular hours). There are hiking trails in town, a general store for goods and a couple restaurants.
What is your cancellation policy?
We have a no-refund policy as entry fees are invested into the event ahead of time. We also do not allow deferrals to the following year.
VIRTUAL SWIM FAQ
What is the Virtual Lake George Marathon Swim?
The Virtual Lake George Marathon swim is an eight-week, 32-mile challenge across the "Queen of American Lakes", located in the beautiful Adirondacks of Upstate New York. Lake George has a well-known marathon swimming past, and over the last 10 years has been home to our annual Lake George Open Water 2.5k, 5k and 10k swims.
Where does it take place?
The virtual venue is Lake George, located in the Adirondack Park of New York State. The actual swims take place wherever you have access to a body of water.
Who can participate?
Anyone who has access to a swim venue, the ability to measure their swims, and the ability to log their swims online. Note that the entry fee covers shipping and handling to addresses in the United States only. There is an add-on mailing cost for shipment to non-U.S. addresses.
Is this a race? Are there prizes?
This is not a race and there are no prizes as this is considered a challenge. Everyone is on their own playing field. However, all registrants get items as part of their entry.
Is there a charity involved?
The Lake George Association is the official charity of the Virtual Lake George Marathon Swim. A portion of race entries and 100% of donations will go to support LGA’s mission of preserving Lake George water for years to come.
How do I fundraise?
You can set up a unique fundraising page here, and share the link with friends/family who can donate, for example, $1 per mile swum, etc.
What is the entry fee and what is included in that?
Please visit the homepage for details on what's included in your entry fee.
When do we get our swag?
We will be placing our swag order once registration closes. It may take 3-4 weeks for items to come in, and then we will be packaging everything up and sending them out.
When do we get our stickers?
Stickers will be ordered once registration closes. They may take 2-3 weeks to be received which accounts for order placement, production, shipping in, fulfillment, and shipping out time.
How do I register?
There are two registration components: one to sign up for the event on RunSignUp (RSU), and one to set up an account to log your progress and view your standings on the Leaderboard & Map once you begin your swim.
- To Register for the event on RSU: Click the "Register" link in the navbar. You’ll be taken to our registration platform at RunSignUp, where you’ll be asked to create an account, if you don’t already have one.
- To Register for the Leaderboard: you will receive an email within 24 hours of signing up for the challenge, with instructions on what to do.
Team Registration on RunSignUp
You can create a new team or join an existing team when you go through the registration process on RunSignUp. You can also go back to create or join an existing team later as well. Learn how here. Teams are a great way to gain momentum, stay motivated and get others involved. Teams can be categorized as follows:
- USMS Club – Any USMS Club (i.e ADMS, SALT, REDT, SERC, etc.)
- USA Swimming – Any USA Swimming Team
- USAT - Any USA Triathlon Club
- FINA – Any international swim club recognized by FINA
- College – Students/alum from any college/university
- Open – Any swim team that doesn’t fall into the above. This could be friends and family, a community swim team, a school team – anything.
You might want to get buy-in from other teammates ahead of time and designate a Team Captain to set the group up on RSU and the Leaderboard and handle the administration side (i.e., whether it's an open team or private team, etc.)
How do I register for the Leaderboard?
- A link will be emailed to you after you register. This is a unique link personal to you that does not require a username or password. We recommend you bookmark it.
- Click on your link. Once at your activity log page, look for the fields and drop downs to add new activities.
- Click the New Log Entry button. Enter the activity date, the distance, and if desired, the total time it took you to complete it.
- You can also sync to Strava (see section further down)
- The Activity Log will let you edit or remove entries, if needed.
- Try to stay on top of it each day you swim.
- Pro Tip: You can save the Activity Log as an icon on your mobile phone by following these steps HERE.
For Solo Swimmers:
From the Activity Log, you will be able to also click through the menu to see your personal progress map. Once you’ve logged your first activity, you can see where you are on the map. Feel free to zoom in, scroll, click on pins, etc. to see what is nearby.
For Teams
From the Activity Log, all teammates and captains will be able to also click through the menu to see their Team Progress Map. Once you’ve logged your first activity, you can try it out as well.
- Explore, zoom in, zoom out
- Expand and collapse the map menu, explore the info inside
- Try clicking on map pins to see your progress and nearby features
What If I am a Team Captain?
All Team Captains for the challenge will also receive a special link to access the Leaderboard. Through it, you will be able to see:
- A team-wide Activity Log
- A Team Progress Map
How are Team miles calculated?
Team miles are cumulative. So if you have 32 members on a team, and you each swim 1 mile on day 1, you will have finished the swim as a Team. Individual members of a team will still need to complete 32 miles to finish.
My miles are not showing up with my team?
If you joined a team after registering on RunSignUp, you will need to be manually added to your team on the leaderboard. Email chris@greenleafracing.com with the details.
How Do I sync to Strava within the Leaderboard?
- Once the event starts, a “Connect with Strava” button will appear in your log.
- NOTE: Beforeyou sync to your Strava Account, make sure you already have current, completed workouts entered and ready for importing
- To connect the Challenge Activity Log to Strava, click the Strava button
- Then return to the Activity Log and click the New Log Entry button to pull in one or more Strava workouts.
- With your Strava account connected, you will see recent workouts as a drop down option in the NEW ENTRY LOG
- Once selected, hit the save button. You do not need to enter anything in the manual Distance or Time fields.
- Your newly imported Strava workout should show up in your Activity Log
- Once you have synced, the Strava button will disappear. You can only Sync with Strava once every 12 hours, at which time the button will reappear here. You should, however, be able to still see recent workouts when trying to add new Activities. The button will re-appear on its own whenever a new sync is possible/required.
Can I log miles from workouts before I registered for this event?
We ask that you only log workouts starting from the day you officially sign up for this event.
How do I change my shirt size?
Please click here for a step by step on how to update your shirt size in RunSignUp.
How do I manage my registration?
If you need to change your shirt-size or any other general information, you can begin by logging into your account, and go to your “Profile” page. On the “Profile” page, see Races under Upcoming Events. This shows a list of all Race(s) that are coming up. You are able to manage the registration for the Race by clicking "Manage Registration".
I lost my confirmation email. Can I have another one sent?
RunSignup allows you to access your registration through your Profile. From there you can resend your confirmation email if you have misplaced it, or if you have not received it
Note: If you did not receive your confirmation make sure to check the spam folder in your email client.
You can resend a confirmation email by navigating to Profile > Upcoming Events > Resend Confirmation.
