Thousands of athletes swam across the Bosphorus today

Today, Istanbul hosted the 38th Intercontinental Bosphorus Swim — one of Turkey’s most unusual mass sporting events. Around 2,500 swimmers from 64 countries set off from the Kanlıca pier on the Asian side of Istanbul and covered 6.5 kilometres to the finish in the Kuruçeşme area on the European shore.

The distinctive feature of the competition is that participants literally swim from one continent to another. The route runs along the Bosphorus, while the strait’s current becomes one of the key factors affecting the course of the swim. The competition is organised by the National Olympic Committee of Turkey, and this year’s swim was started by Turkey’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Aşkın Bak.

This year, the organisers also strengthened safety measures on the water. The participants were monitored by the coast guard, marine police and security services, while the athletes were provided with special swimming buoys. The authorities also temporarily restricted vessel traffic along this section of the Bosphorus during the event.

The swim has been held in Istanbul for the 38th time and is considered one of the city’s defining attractions: its uniqueness lies in the opportunity to cross the border between Asia and Europe by swimming within just a few hours.