The roar of race cars will give way to the splash of swimmers on Saturday, December 5, when Swim Across America returns to Daytona International Speedway for the second annual Swim Across America – Daytona Open Water Swim – as part of the CLASH Endurance® Daytona Triathlon Festival Weekend, December 4-6, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway®. The second annual Swim Across America – Daytona Open Water Swim will take place Saturday, December 5, at 9:30 a.m., in the Speedway’s iconic Lake Lloyd, with a 1-mile charity swim and 100-meter Dolphin Dash raising funds to support pediatric cancer research and The NASCAR Foundation. Swimmers and athletes interested in participating can register at swimacrossamerica.org/daytona or check out the whole CLASH Endurance Daytona weekend events at clashendurance.com/pages/daytona.

The Swim Across America – Daytona charity swim is just one of the signature events of the three-day CLASH Daytona festival, which brings athletes, families and spectators to the “World Center of Racing” for a unique weekend of endurance sports and entertainment. The CLASH Endurance Daytona Weekend kicks off Friday, December 4, with the festive CLASH Endurance Jingle Jog 5K at ONE Daytona, where participants can run, walk or stroll through a course illuminated by more than 1 million holiday lights. Swim Across America’s mascot, DASH the Dolphin, may even make an appearance!

Throughout the weekend, athletes will also have the opportunity to compete in CLASH Endurance’s Sprint, Daytona Distance and Middle Distance triathlons and duathlons; aquabike events; the USA Paratriathlon National Qualifier; the Redline Relay competitive cycling event; and Test Track, a noncompetitive opportunity to ride on Daytona International Speedway’s famous track. The Swim Across America charity swim adds another way for athletes and families to take part in the weekend while supporting an important mission.

CLASH Daytona has become known for combining competition with a festival-style atmosphere at one of the world’s most recognizable sports venues. The 2026 festival runs December 4-6 and welcomes everyone from elite and competitive athletes to recreational participants, families and first-time endurance athletes.

Swim Across America joined the CLASH Daytona weekend for the first time in 2025, transforming Lake Lloyd — the 29-acre lake located inside the Speedway’s infield — into an open water charity swim venue. The inaugural event raised approximately $50,000 while bringing together swimmers, Olympians, volunteers and supporters to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.

“Last year’s Swim Across America – Daytona open water swim at the Daytona International Speedway, in partnership with CLASH, was so much fun,” shared Rob Butcher, CEO of Swim Across America. “We are excited to be back this year on December 5th with more swimmers and more funds raised for pediatric cancer research.”

Returning this year are Charlie Lydecker and his son, Andrew Lydecker, with Team FRP, who embraced both the Swim Across America experience and the pediatric cancer research mission during last year’s inaugural swim.

Charlie Lydecker, CEO and chairman of Foundation Risk Partners, was instrumental in helping bring Swim Across America – Daytona to the CLASH Endurance festival weekend. A longtime competitive swimmer and accomplished masters swimmer, Lydecker is a 14-time national lifeguard champion, has earned multiple U.S. Masters Swimming Top Ten honors and relay records and is a winner of the famed Escape from Alcatraz swim.

Andrew Lydecker is also an experienced swimmer and endurance athlete. A former high school swim team captain and three-sport athlete, he has competed at the U.S. Lifesaving Association National Lifeguard Championships, participated in Swim Across America and completed an Ironman in Texas.

“The team at FRP is proud to support Swim Across America and its mission to bring hope and fund critical research for those fighting cancer,” Charlie Lydecker said when Team FRP joined the inaugural Daytona swim. “We’re honored to help bring the event to Daytona International Speedway and excited for this year’s swim!”

The 1-mile Swim Across America – Daytona swim gives experienced open water swimmers a rare opportunity to swim inside Daytona International Speedway. 1-mile swimmers are also required to raise at least $400 and swimmers 18 and under are required to raise $200 by event day. For those who want to take part in the mission with a shorter distance, the Dolphin Dash is a 100-meter swim open to participants of all ages. Registration is $50, with no fundraising minimum for Dolphin Dash swimmers, although participants are encouraged to fundraise.

Top fundraising individuals and teams will have the opportunity to celebrate on the Daytona International Speedway podium, just like race winners, recognizing their efforts to help fund pediatric cancer research.

The partnership among CLASH Endurance, Swim Across America and The NASCAR Foundation brings together organizations united by a commitment to using sports and community to improve lives. The NASCAR Foundation works to improve the lives of children who need it most, particularly in NASCAR racing communities, through programs including the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Since 2006, the foundation has contributed millions of dollars to programs impacting children nationwide.

Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.

For more information or to register for the Swim Across America – Daytona 1-mile swim, Dolphin Dash or SAA My Way, volunteer or donate, visit swimacrossamerica.org/daytona. To learn more about the full CLASH Endurance Daytona Triathlon Festival Weekend, December 4-6, including the Jingle Jog 5K and other events, visit clashendurance.com/pages/daytona.

CLASH Endurance® is an innovative endurance event company led by athletes with a passion for providing exceptional race experiences at iconic venues. CLASH embraces inclusion and welcomes athletes of all ages and abilities, from elite professionals to first-time participants. The popular CLASH Endurance Daytona event is held at Daytona International Speedway, home of “The Great American Race” — the Daytona 500. For more information, visit clashendurance.com.