About 300 swimmers plunged into the Chicago River on Sunday morning for the first organized open-water swim in almost a century as spectators lined the Dearborn and Clark Street bridges and the Riverwalk.

“Reclaiming our river not only creates a recreational space for residents and visitors, but it also puts us on the map, along with other global destinations, where open-water swims have become part of city culture,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the 7 a.m. start.

Participants who were swimming the 2-mile course started first, with those doing the 1-mile swim following.

“This is a celebration,” said Doug McConnell, founder of A Long Swim, which organized Sunday’s event. “The city has done such a remarkable job over the generations to make sure that this water is swimmable, that the recr

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