The Shadow
ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS, Va. – The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism proudly hosted another successful Lake Moomaw 1-Mile Open Water Swim on Saturday, August 1st, welcoming a record-breaking 104 registered participants to one of Virginia’s most scenic open water swimming events.
This year’s event marked the largest field in the history of the race, continuing the event’s growth and reinforcing Lake Moomaw as a premier destination for open water swimmers from across the region.
The swim also marked the conclusion of the Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism’s 2026 Outdoor Event Series, wrapping up another successful season of signature endurance events that welcomed participants from across the country to experience the beauty and hospitality of the Alleghany Highlands. The 2026 series saw continued growth across all three events, with each event increasing participation from the previous year and two events setting new registration records.
Participants were greeted with nearly perfect race conditions. Surrounded by the breathtaking mountain scenery of the Alleghany Highlands, participants experienced one of the most picturesque open water swims in Virginia.
The event continues to attract swimmers from well beyond the Alleghany Highlands. Each year, participants travel from all over the east coast, demonstrating the event’s growing reputation as a destination race and its positive impact on tourism and the local business community.
“Seeing a record-breaking 104 swimmers on the starting line is an incredible milestone for this event. Lake Moomaw offers a truly unique race experience, and it’s exciting to see so many swimmers choosing to travel here to experience the beauty of the Alleghany Highlands. We can’t thank our participants, volunteers, sponsors, and community enough for making this our biggest event yet.” Said Makayla Nobles, Events & Special Projects Coordinator, Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
Swimmers of all experience levels, ranging in age from 19 to 79 years old, competed in the one-mile open water event.
Jessica Williamson (26) claimed the Overall Women’s Championship with a winning time of 19:01.32, while Daniel Byrnes (23) captured the Overall Men’s Championship in 18:56.77.
