Bridges to Bluffs (B2B) is a 10k downstream open water swim in the Tennessee River. Swimmers start the race by jumping off the Star of Knoxville paddleboat, and then navigate under five bridges to finish their swim surrounded by the bluffs of the beautiful Sequoyah Hills neighborhood.

Solo swimmers and 2-person relay teams may enter.

This event is USMS-sanctioned. All participants must be 18 years of age or older on race day and must have a current annual or one event USMS membership. One event memberships may be purchased during registration.

Registration is open from May 15, 2024 - August 12, 2024 or until sold out, when a waitlist will be taken.

Fees

We are proud to offer the same registration fees again in 2024. New this year, we will utilize an online payment platform (processing fees will apply) integrated with registration, so swimmers immediately know they have secured a spot.

Solo Swimmer, $375

Relay Team, $225 per swimmer

Swimmer requests a kayak Rental, $60

Swimmer requests a pilot, $175

USMS OEVT fee, $20 (for swimmers without an annual USMS membership)

Pilots fees are covered by swimmers. (ALL pilots will need to register on the same platform for $0).

Important Addresses

Suttree Landing Park: 1820 Foggy Bottom St, Knoxville, TN 37920

Seqouyah Park: 2280 Cherokee Blvd, Knoxville, TN, 37919

Star of Knoxville: 300 Neyland Dr, Knoxville, TN, 27902

Check In

Swimmer check-in is from 5:00 - 5:30pm on Saturday, September 21 prior to the dinner cruise on the Star of Knoxville. Swimmer check-in will NOT be available on Sunday. If you do not check-in during designated swimmer check-in hours, you will NOT be able to race.

Pre Race Briefing & Dinner Cruise

Swimmers and pilots are required to attend the Race Briefing, which will take place on Saturday, September 21 aboard the Star of Knoxville. The Race Briefing is a requirement of USMS and hosted for the benefit of all those involved. The briefing will cover the safety requirements, the course, and rules for swim, and, most importantly, any last-minute changes or new procedures that may occur due to weather-related forecasts or activities in this active river channel. Any swimmer or pilot that is not able to attend the riverboat cruise should email knox.ows@gmail.com for the information, and to make arrangements for check-in.

The riverboat cruise with dinner is included for all athletes and their pilots. Additional dinner cruise tickets may be purchased during registration on a first come, first serve basis if space is available. Dinner will be served on the cruise. There will be a cash bar available.

There will NOT be an official practice swim prior to the race. Our race sponsor LB Endurance may provide preview swims in July and August; watch their social media @lbendurance for information.

Pilot should drop their kayaks at Suttree Landing Park after the dinner cruise, between 8-11 pm. Overnight security is provided.

Race Day

There is no warm up on race morning.

Both Suttree Landing and Sequoyah Parks open at 6:15 a.m. on race morning for unloading of kayaks and gear, and vehicle parking. Public restrooms are open at both parks.

Swimmers and pilots park their personal vehicles at Sequoyah Park. Buses will be provided to transport both swimmers and pilots to their designated starts. Swimmers will be taken to the Star of Knoxville; pilots will be taken to Suttree Landing Park. Swimmers must give their race nutrition and items to their pilot BEFORE getting dropped off at the Star of Knoxville.

Swimmer should bring their swim cap, goggles, and morning clothes bag to the Star of Knoxville. Body marking will begin around 7:30 a.m. outside of the riverboat. If you misplaced your swim cap, please see the Race Director for a replacement. Do not apply sunscreen, lubricants, or lotion until after you are body marked. The riverboat departs at 8:30 a.m. sharp. All swimmers must be on the riverboat BEFORE this time. Once on the riverboat, you may drop your tagged morning clothes bag to be taken to the finish line.

Pilots should be at Suttree Landing Park by 8:30 am (or on the last bus from Sequoyah Park) and will line up and enter the water by swimmer number (starting with #1). Pilots will need to help each other carrying watercraft to the dock to launch at Suttree Landing Park. Swimmer numbers will be called out as they jump - paddle to meet your swimmer and go!

Post Race

There is no warm down after the race.

At the swim exit, volunteers will assist swimmers and pilots to dry land. Note that the exit has precarious footing and assistance is strongly recommended. All pilot craft will be carried to the adjacent field for easier loading to cars.

Swimmers should pick up their finisher award and morning drop bag here.

Join us at the swim finish in Sequoyah Park to celebrate your swim. A post-race meal will be provided to registered swimmers, pilots, volunteers and any guest that pre-purchased a meal ticket.

If your t-shirt doesn't fit perfectly, bring it to the finish to exchange. You may also purchase additional shirts (limited sizes) with cash or Venmo here.

Please dispose of all trash in approved containers, and use the park’s restrooms as needed.

Any found items will be held for one week before being discarded.

Saturday, Sept 21

5:00- 5:30pm- Athlete Check In @ Star of Knoxville

5:30pm- Dinner Cruise Departs

5:30- 7:30pm - Dinner Cruise & Swimmer/Pilot Briefing

8:00-11:00pm- Kayak and SUP drop off for pilots @ Suttree Landing Park

Sunday, Sept 22

6:15 am - Gear drop off available at Suttree Landing Park

6:15 am - Finish Line parking opens at Sequoyah Park for all participants

6:45-8:15- Buses depart every 30 minutes from the finish line @ Sequoyah Park to drop swimmers at the boat and pilots at Suttrees Landing Park.

8:00-8:30- Swimmers board Star of Knoxville Boat. Swimmers body marked.

8:30- Star of Knoxville departs with swimmers

8:45- Pilots enter the water at Sutree Landing Park

9:00- Race Start - Swimmers in!

11:00- Lead swimmers finish

11:30-2:30- Post Race Party

1:00- Race course closes

1:30- Race Awards

Course Map Click Here

The point-to-point downriver swim in the Tennessee River will start 6.2 miles upstream of the finish line. The start is an 8-foot jump from the Star of Knoxville riverboat near Suttree Landing Park. Swimmers are individually released to enter the water every 5-10 seconds, starting with Swimmer #1. Swimmers immediately meet their pilot and continue downriver on the LEFT (South) side of the river.

Spectators have great opportunities to watch at various points along the entire course, including views from Suttree Landing Park, Gay Street Bridge, Henley Street Bridge, Scottish Pike Park, Cherokee Farms and Sequoyah Park.

At the 4.2 mile mark, swimmers cross from the LEFT downstream bank to the RIGHT (North) downstream bank and stay on this side until the finish. Swimmers finish the race in the water at Sequoyah Park. The post-race party and parking is immediately located at the swim course exit. The water temperature on race day has historically been 71-76 degF.

Swimmer Rules

• Athletes must wear a brightly colored cap during the entire race.

• All swimmers must be body marked with their number in permanent marker on their hands and/or shoulders

• Any assistance renderred during the swim will result in disqualification if forward progress is made. Swimmers are permitted to use their pilots or boats for aid, as long as no forward progress is made.

• The course will close 4 hours after the time that the last swimmer entered the water. All swimmers have 4 hours to complete the 6.2-mile course. Any swimmer failing to finish within 4 hours may receive a DNF. Race officials reserve the right to pull any swimmer that fails to make the time cut-off.

• If you drop out or are pulled from the race at any time, please inform a race official. It is essential that we know where you are on the course at all times for your safety and our peace of mind. If you are transported to any medical station, the medical staff will take responsibility for you.

Relay Swimmer Rules

• The two members of a relay team will act as the swimmer and pilot, and exchange roles when, where and as frequently as they choose. One race number will be assigned to the team.

• Both relay team members must be familiar with, and prepared to follow, all rules for pilots and swimmers. For the race start, one relay team member will be the Swimmer and one will be the Pilot.

• Relays will start after all solo swimmers.

• All exchanges must be done safely and not endanger or impede the progress of any other participant. There is no designated relay exchange location. Exchanges may be made anywhere along the course, including the adjacent shore. Private docks may NOT be used.

GENERAL SAFETY RULES

• Be advised that this is an OPEN course – non-event watercraft will be near the swim course.

• Each swimmer is required to have their own pilot. If the pilot’s watercraft becomes disabled or cannot continue to accompany the swimmer, the swimmer may stay in the water near the disabled escort craft until a replacement arrives, join another escort craft that is accompanying only one other swimmer until another escort craft arrives, or exit the water.

Pilots are responsible to help swimmers stay along the designated course; that being:

• within 100 feet of shore (except during start/entry and the single crossing), and within 30 feet of their pilot.

• swim to the left of the furthest left pillar of each bridge.

• Swimmers must remain on the LEFT of all buoys until the crossing at mile 4.2, at which time they must remain on the RIGHT (upriver side) of all buoys. (Pilots may be on the opposite side of the buoys)

• at the river crossing, the pilot and swimmer must cross together, staying within 30 feet of each other.

• failure to stay on the designated course may result in swimmer disqualification.

• Course officials and medical personnel reserve the right to remove athletes from the course if determined medically necessary.

• No waterproof mp3s or in-ear audio devices are allowed.

• We will have an active lightning detection app onsite. If there is a need to evacuate the course for weather or other reasons, the patrol boat will inform the pilots with a bullhorn and loud whistle blasts to clear the course, while displaying a red flag. Each pilot should have a whistle to alert their swimmer and other pilots. All pilots and swimmers should immediately exit the water at the closest shore. Swimmers should have some warm clothes in their personal kayak if needed to stay warm. If it does not thunder or lightning for 15 minutes, the patrol boat will inform swimmers that the race can resume.

• While water temperatures are expected to be in the 70's on the day of the race, the following thermal plans will be followed in case of colder or warmer temperatures:

• Cold water plan: If the water temperature is 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit or below, swimmers will be required to wear wetsuits.

• Warm water plan: If the water temperature measures 85.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the swim will be cancelled.

SWIMWEAR POLICY

• Swimwear shall only include a swimsuit, cap(s), and goggles or swim mask. Nose clips, ear plugs, and watches are allowed.

• Swimsuits shall be nontransparent and conform to the current concept of the appropriate.

• The swimmer shall only wear one swimsuit in one or two pieces. All suits shall be made from textile materials and not contain clasps or zippers. For both men and women, the swimsuit shall not cover the neck and shall not extend past the shoulder nor below the ankles.

• Swimmers are not permitted to wear or use any device or substance to help their speed, pace navigation, buoyancy, or endurance during a swim. No fins, gloves, paddles, snorkels or flotation devices (including pull buoys) of any kind are allowed.

• Any kind of tape or flat armband is not permitted unless approved by the referee.

• No wetsuits, “lava shorts”, aqua socks, neoprene booties, or neoprene cap unless the water temperature is 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

WETSUIT RULES

• Wetsuits are not allowed to be eligible for awards. However, in the unlikely case that the water temperatures drop, wetsuits will be required up to and including 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Swimmers may choose to wear a wetsuit in water temperatures between 60.9 degrees Fahrenheit and 78.0 degrees Fahrenheit, but will not be eligible for awards. If the water temperature is in this range and a swimmer chooses to wear a wetsuit, they will start after the non-wetsuit swimmers. Athletes electing to start at this time will still have 4 hours to complete the swim course.

• Wetsuits will be prohibited in water temperatures greater than 78.0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Every swimmer must have a pilot to escort them for the entire length of the course. All pilots need a non-motorized watercraft (i.e. kayak, canoe, SUP). Pilots may bring their own, rent their own, or request the race to provide a kayak at an additional cost.

KAYAK/SUP RENTAL

During your race registration, you have the opportunity to rent a kayak. Bridges to Bluffs handles this through Knoxville-based River Sports Outfitters.

Kayak rental includes a paddle, PFD and drop-off at the Suttree Landing Park and pick-up at Sequoyah Park.

If you have any last-minute issues securing a pilot or watercraft, please email us BEFORE September 1 at knox.ows@gmail.com.

PILOT RULES

Each craft is required to have:

• (1) Personal Flotation Device per individual on the craft (you don’t need an extra for your swimmer)

• A cell phone in a waterproof container in case of emergency to contact a race official

Each craft is recommended to have:

• Water and food for two people (you will be out here a long time)

• (1) whistle is recommended per craft

• Sunscreen, and adequate protective clothing

For more information, please see the provided PILOT GUIDE (LINK) and PILOT WEBINAR (LINK)

Pilots may provide the following assistance to swimmers:

• Food or drink may be passed from pilot to swimmer

• Assist the swimmer with navigation, including verbal, hand or written communication.

Pilots may not provide the following assistance to swimmers:

• A swimmer drafting directly behind the pilot shall not be permitted when open water is readily available.

• Swimmers shall not receive forward progress from pilots.

• Pilot craft shall not obstruct other swimmers in the race.

The United States Masters Swimming (USMS) medical coverage protects each swimmer, volunteer, and race personnel for the day of the event at USMS sanctioned races, camps, and clinics. When athletes purchase a USMS annual membership or one-event membership (OEVT), a portion of those fees cover the cost to provide them with excess medical insurance. This coverage only extends to their participation in a USMS sanctioned event, and is only available after the injured party has filed with any primary insurance policies. There is not a deductible for this excess coverage.

If a swimmer, volunteer, or race personnel is injured while participating in a USMS sanctioned event the following steps must be followed:

• If anyone, swimmer or volunteer needs medical assistance at any time, they should seek out medical attention immediately. Any incident that occurs during a sanctioned event (swimmer or volunteer), no matter how small, should be reported to the race director and/or the safety director.

• The race director and the injured party will fill out an Incident Report Form. It can also be found here:

http://www.usms.org/admin/lmschb/gto_ins_report_of_occurrence.pdf

• For serious incidents or for athletes requesting coverage, the Race Director can provide them with an Incident Report Form. If you fill out the form on your own, please email the completed document to: knox.ows@gmail.com

Be advised that coverage may not apply to each and every claim. Additionally, coverage only extends to swimmers who are USMS members or have purchased a one-event membership and were injured through participation in a USMS-sanctioned event. Please e-mail questions to:

membership@usmastersswimming.org.

In all cases, the final decision of medical consideration is at the discretion of the race Medical Director.

Particular dangers include dehydration, hyponatremia, sunburn, exhaustion and injuries sustained from accidents. Please ask for medical help if you have the slightest hint you may need it. You will not be penalized for receiving a medical evaluation. You will only be withdrawn from the race if you require transportation, IV fluids, or if medical personnel feel your continued participation could result in serious harm or death.

During events of extreme endurance, the body’s pain threshold is raised, and you may be in more trouble than you realize. The medical personnel will do all they can to keep you in the race and assure a safe finish.

Please trim your fingernails and toenails prior to the start of the race to avoid injury to other athletes. Be especially careful to rinse your goggles of any excess defogger solutions to avoid eye irritation.

If you spend 3 months prior to the event in a climate different than Knoxville, we suggest you consider an acclimation period before the race. The chance of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance can be reduced significantly by a proper period of acclimation.

Stay with your familiar and proven routine regarding training, nutrition and equipment, especially just prior to the race. This also applies to pre-race dietary intake and medications. It is recommended you avoid an extreme elimination diet. Adequate salt intake during training and during the event is especially important.

If you are taking any medications, or have any medical problem that may influence your performance or your treatment in the event of an injury, advise us of all necessary details well in advance of race day.

You are solely responsible for avoiding medications that appear on the list of banned substances as determined by WADA.

Closest medical facility: UT Medical Center, 1924 Alcoa Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920, approximately 2-5 miles away, 865-305-9000.

PARTNER HOTEL

For lodging, consider the Courtyard Marriott. Minutes away from the race start, mention Bridges to Bluffs for a discounted room rate of $XXX per night!

Event Summary: Bridges to Bluffs

Start Date: Friday, September 10, 2024

End Date: Monday, September 23, 2024

Last Day to Book: Thursday, August 15, 2024

Hotel(s) offering your special group rate: Courtyard Knoxville Downtown for XXX USD per night

We love volunteers!

B2B needs volunteers for the following roles:

• Pilots (1:1 swimmer support on a kayak or SUP). Volunteer pilots get event t-shirt, pre-race dinner cruise and post-race picnic

• On water support (Non-pilot)

• Pre Race Set Up

• Post Race Party & Finish Line Help

• Post Race Clean Up

Depending on the role, volunteers may receive an event t-shirt and post-race meal. If you’d like to volunteer click HERE (LINK)

Photos By Year

• 2024

• 2023

• 2022

• 2021

• 2019

• 2018

• 2017

Results By Year

• 2024

• 2023

• 2022

• 2021

• 2019

• 2018

• 2017

LOVE SWIMMING THE TENNESSEE RIVER? Go for the Triple Crown of TN!

In 2018, the directors of the three largest open water events to take place on the Tennessee River (Swim Hobbs Island 5-miler, Bridges to Bluffs 10-km and Swim The Suck 10-miler) teamed up to create the Triple Crown of the Tennessee: .

Any swimmer who completes all three races will achieve a Triple Crown award. Complete all three events in a single year - gold. Two years - silver. Complete all three within three years - bronze.

If you have completed this feat, please email any race director in November and let them know which years you completed each event. After verification, you will receive a Triple Crown patch, and if you received Gold, an embroidered towel. You may only claim this title once, so please only reach out when you are ready to claim your award. Your status can always be upgraded in the future, but you will not receive another patch/towel.

For more information on the Triple Crown Series of TN, click HERE