Swim to the Moon Open Water Swim Festival

About the Event

What is Swim to the Moon?

Swim to the Moon is an extraordinary open-water swimming adventure through the picturesque Hiland Chain of Lakes near Hell, Michigan. Choose your distance — .5 Mile, 1 Mile, 1.2 Mile, 2.4 Mile, 5K, 10K or 10K Relay — and have the time of your life swimming through Southeast Michigan’s most sublime waterways, all the while showing support for a very worthy cause: North Star Reach, a camp for children with life-threatening, serious, and chronic medical conditions.

The 5K swim starts on the shores of Patterson Lake at North Star Reach; from there, swimmers head south and east through the heavily forested Pinckney Recreation Area, passing through five lakes along the way. Scattered cottages are the only signs of civilization. The 5K will finish once they reach Halfmoon Lake Beach. 10K race participants start at Halfmoon Lake Beach, swim to the start of the 5K (where their “special needs” bags will be available), then turn around to head back to the shores of Halfmoon Lake Beach. The .5 Mile, 1 Mile, 1.2 mile, and 2.4 Mile swims start at Halfmoon Lake Beach. All events finish at the state beach on the east shore of Halfmoon Lake.

If you have a group, consider entering our team division! High School Coaches/Captains: Please contact info@epicraces.com for a special group discount for your team!

This race is sanctioned by USMS. The USMS $20 one-event fee is built into the price. If you are an annual member of USMS, $20 will be deducted from your race entry.

Races Offered

10K: Full Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 10K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

06:30

sell

$150.00

15K: Super Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 15K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

06:30

sell

$175.00

2.4 Mile: Waxing Gibbous Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 2.4 Miles

terrain

Type — Running

timer

07:30

sell

$130.00

5K: Half Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 5K

terrain

Type — Running

timer

07:30

sell

$130.00

.5 Mile: Gibbous Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 825 Yards

terrain

Type — Running

timer

09:30

sell

$110.00

1.2 Mile: Quarter Moon

Aug 16, 2026

straighten

Distance — 1.2 Miles

terrain

Type — Running

timer

09:30

sell

$110.00

Weather History

These values represent the 3-year monthly averages for August in Gregory.

thermostat Temperature

16.2° / 26.1°

wb_sunny Feels like

15.9° / 25.7°

light_mode Avg sunshine hours

11h 19m

water_drop Avg rainfall

2.5 mm

ac_unit Avg snowfall

—

air Avg wind speed

9.9 km/h (Light breeze)

opacity Sweat loss rate

High

terrain Course conditions

Hard and dry surface

sunny Max UV Index

High (7.0)

humidity_mid Humidity

73.4%

wb_twilight Sunrise

06:44

nightlight Sunset

20:34

About Gregory

Learn more about the host city, Gregory.

Gregory is an unincorporated community in Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within Unadilla Township. As an unincorporated community, Gregory has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 48137 ZIP Code.