Winter Lake Balaton Crossing
One day worth preparing for all winter.
In September, you might start with a quick dip. As the weeks pass, cold water becomes more familiar, your swims get longer, and before you know it, you’re considering which distance could be yours. You don’t have to start with the full crossing: choose 50, 100 or 200 metres. With the motivation and the right preparation, you could even work your way up to the full 1,250 metres in a single season.
By the day of the Winter Lake Balaton Crossing, you’ll know what cold water means to you. Familiar faces, final preparations, one last sip of a warm drink, then it’s time to head to the start.
Let’s head to Lake Balaton!
The big day has arrived. Early in the morning, swimmers who have spent the winter preparing arrive in Tihany from across Hungary. Excited preparations, familiar faces, then it’s time to head to the start.
Your chosen distance determines where you begin. For the full distance, a ferry takes you to Szántód, where the 1,250-metre swim towards Tihany starts. For the half and one-third distances, a motorboat takes you to the floating pontoon at the start.
You swim towards Tihany along the marked, buoy-lined course. During the first few metres, you still feel the cold. Then your attention turns to your rhythm and the next buoy. The Tihany Peninsula draws closer. At first, you hear the spectators in the distance. Then the encouragement and applause become clearer. The finish is in sight. A few final strokes, and you step out of the water.
With a huge smile on your face.
Winter Lake Balaton Crossing – this is where you belong!
Love open water,
but haven’t tried swimming in the cold?
If swimming is already familiar, it’s time to experience it in a completely different setting. Choose a distance and discover Lake Balaton in winter!
Love the cold?
It’s time to swim in it!
If winter dips are already part of your life, discover what it feels like to swim in cold water too.
Looking for a new challenge?
Enjoy testing your limits?
Put yourself to the test in Lake Balaton in winter and set yourself a goal to prepare for throughout the season.
More than a swim
The Winter Lake Balaton Crossing is about more than completing your chosen distance. There’s a start, a finish, a recorded time and a time limit, but there’s also the atmosphere of the whole day: the excitement before setting off, the boat trip, the cold waves and, once you reach the shore, the sauna, hot tub, a good cup of tea, delicious food and all the smiling faces you’ve been preparing with throughout the season.
There’s room for both achievement and enjoyment. You can check your finishing time, train for a specific distance or simply aim to go a little further this year. A commemorative medal and certificate await you at the finish.
A day you’ll enjoy looking back on.
The 7th Winter Lake Balaton Crossing is coming!
We’ll meet again on the shores of Lake Balaton in 2027. Which distance will you choose?
Which distance will you choose?
For the longer distances, you must demonstrate the preparation required for your chosen distance with a qualifying swim.
Prepare for both the cold water and the swimming
The Winter Lake Balaton Crossing takes place in water between 5 and 10 °C, so preparation is just as important as the swim itself. Gradually get used to cold water while developing your swimming technique and endurance.
Qualifying swims demonstrate that you’re ready for your chosen distance. They also help you assess which distance suits you and arrive at the start properly prepared.
The weather and water temperature matter too. If strong winds, rain or storms, excessively cold water or other conditions prevent the event from taking place safely, we’ll postpone it.
Water safety is provided by the Hungarian Water Rescue Service.
I’d like to take part in the Winter Lake Balaton Crossing. What do I need to know?
Registration
Full details coming soon! We’ll announce the exact event date and registration details shortly.
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