Swim Hobbs Island 2026

Description

The 11th Annual Swim Hobbs Island open water swim through the Tennessee River hosted by the Team Rocket Triathlon Club (TRTC) will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2026. The 5-mile swim will begin at 7:30 AM and the 1- and 2-mile swim will begin at 7:45 AM and 8:00 AM respectively. Swim Hobbs Island is entirely a fundraiser for The American Cancer Society. Thanks for supporting!

Packet Pick Up: Saturday, September 19, 2026

12:00-5:00 PM Fleet Feet Huntsville

Race day packet pick-up is available at the public boat dock from 6:00-7:00 AM

Race Day: Sunday, September 20, 2026

6:00 AM – 7:00 AM: Cap pickup and check-in at the public boat dock, 1000 Hobbs Island Rd SE, between Forrest Paddle Boarding and Pit Stop Boat Ramp Parking.

6:45 AM: Mandatory kayaker safety meeting at the Old Madison County Marina

7:00 AM: Mandatory swimmer safety meeting at race start

7:00 AM: Kayakers for 5 mile swim begin entering the water

7:10 AM: National anthem at race start

7:15 AM: 5 mile swim lineup and final check-in

7:20 AM: 5 mile swimmers enter the water

7:30 AM: 5 mile race begins ***NEW TIME!

7:45 AM: 2 mile race begins ***NEW TIME!

8:00 AM: 1 mile race begins ***NEW TIME!

8:00 AM – 1:30 PM: Swimmers, kayakers, spectators, volunteers can enjoy complimentary food/drink

9:30 AM or as soon as results are finalized: 1 & 2 mile swim awards

10:00 AM or as soon as results are finalized: 5 mile swim awards

NOTE: 5 mile swimmers MUST complete the swim in under 5 hours (12:30PM) and MUST be at the tip of the island (the turnaround point) at 3.5 hours, or 11:00 AM. Race Director reserves the right to pull you after that time.

Course Description

5 Mile Swim: Around Hobbs Island

- requires the participant to provide kayak and kayaker-

This is a five mile circumnavigation of Hobbs Island that will start at the public boat ramp, 1000 Hobbs Island Rd SE, between Forrest Paddle Boarding (swimmer/spectator parking) and Pit Stop Boat Ramp Public Parking (volunteer parking). Swimmers will enter the water via a boat ramp on the shoreline and will swim clockwise around Hobbs Island and finish at the same location as the start. Because the first few miles and the last few hundred meters are against the river current, this swim may take longer than a typical 5 mile swim in the pool.

2 Mile Swim Event

This is a two mile out and back that will start at the same public boat ramp as the 5 mile swim start. Start will be at approximately 7:45 AM. Swimmers will enter the water via a boat ramp on the shoreline. Swimmers will swim upstream approximately 1 mile and then turn around. The finish location will be the same as the start. Because the first mile is against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical two mile swim in the pool. Please be aware that this is NOT an event for beginner swimmers. You should be able to swim 2.5 miles continuously in a pool before tackling this 2 mile event.

1 Mile Swim Event

This is a one mile out and back that will start at the same public boat ramp as the 2 and 5 mile swim start. Start will be at approximately 8:00 AM. Swimmers will enter the water via a boat ramp on the shoreline. Swimmers will proceed upstream .5 mile and then turn around. The finish location will be the same as the start. Because the first half mile is against the river current, this swim will take longer than a typical one mile swim in the pool.

Current and Time Cutoffs

Current in the Tennessee River normally varies greatly because this stretch of the river is controlled by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) via flow rates from the Guntersville Dam. However, every year we submit a flow reduction request to TVA for the race. NEVERTHELESS, they do not have to honor this, and they may not, and we have minimal input into this decision. We are grateful that they are often able to do this for our safety and comfort. For your information, typical TVA-adjusted flow rates for this race in the past have been ~1