TrygFonden Copenhagen Swim (Christiansborg Rundt)

The course

The course is 2,000 m and the same for every distance. You start from a floating pontoon beside the Black Diamond (the Royal Danish Library) on the harbour side, swim under Knippelsbro and into the canals past the National Bank, under Børsbroen and Holmens Bro past the Old Stock Exchange and the castle, then toward Højbro Plads past the underwater sculptures Agnete and the Merman. Everyone swims anti-clockwise around the island of Slotsholmen.

From Gammel Strand the route continues to Stormbroen and up Frederiksholm Canal, under Marmorbroen and Prinsens Bro and past BLOX, out into the harbour again and along Christians Brygge, with about 200 m to go beside the spectator stands at Søren Kierkegaards Plads. You climb a staircase on the floating pontoon at the finish, where your chip is registered and volunteers help you out.

Heats of about 65 swimmers go off about five minutes apart from the pontoon, started from the water. There are spotters and lifeguards along the whole course, large floating buoys and safety lines to keep boats away, and medics on land. The 10,000 m is five laps of the same course, and the REMA 1000 m starts at Gammel Strand, with a bus taking swimmers there 30 minutes before the start.

How to enter

Entries are made at Sportstiming, with a choice of heat based on your expected finish time; you can change heat yourself until a week before and at the registration tent on the day if there is space. The 2027 edition on 27 and 28 August has no opening date yet, and the organiser keeps an interest list on its site and says it will email when registration opens. Because the event sold out in 2026 and the 1,000 m earlier, sign up for the list in advance.

The 2026 price for the individual 2,000 m was 600 kr to 18 November 2025, 700 kr from 19 November and 800 kr from 1 February 2026, plus a handling fee of 16 kr and 0.8%; relay, night swim and 10,000 m cost more (the 10,000 m was 1,500 to 1,800 kr and above). You can transfer your entry to another person in your Sportstiming profile, and you can buy cancellation insurance when you register. Swimmers under 15 have their own page with rules, and wetsuits are required under 18.

How to train for it

Practise swimming 2 km nonstop in open water

Most swimmers choose the 2,000 m, which means at least 40 minutes of continuous swimming. Build up in a lake or the sea at least once a week in the summer, with a buoy, and swim in company.

Learn to swim in a crowd

You share the course with a heat of about 65 and with the earlier heat's slower swimmers. Practise sighting every few strokes and swimming close to others without grabbing. A wetsuit makes this easier because it floats you higher.

Wear the wetsuit you will race in

Rent or buy early (the organiser has a rental supplier) and swim in it before the day; the water is typically 18 to 20 degrees and a wetsuit is mandatory below 16 degrees. The speedos-only heat is a separate, colder choice for those who want it.

Choose your heat honestly

Pick a heat where you can finish faster than the maximum time suggested for it. If you want to swim with friends, register for the same heat.

Practise swimming under bridges and in canals

The loop has stone bridges, quay walls and two turns where the wash is confusing. Swim in a harbour or canal if you can, and practise breathing on both sides.

What you need

• Wetsuit (mandatory below 16 °C, required for under-18s, recommended for all); rent from the official supplier or bring your own
• The official swim cap, always worn visibly, and any issued safety buoy (havtaske)
• Goggles; clear lenses for the night swim, plus your own swim buoy (the organiser has no spares) with the LED light supplied
• A swim buoy with a GPS tracker for the 10,000 m
• Swim aids allowed: wetsuit, swimsuit, buoy, cap, nose clip and goggles; fins, snorkels and masks are not allowed
• Warm dry clothes and a towel, since the finish area is outdoors in late August
• Your start number, emailed about a week before, for the registration tent in front of Tøjhusmuseet (register no later than an hour before your heat)

Getting there and staying

Start and finish are at the Black Diamond (the Royal Danish Library), Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1, a few minutes from Copenhagen's centre. Copenhagen Airport is the nearest airport. The registration tent is in front of the Old Arsenal Museum (Tøjhusmuseet); you must register no later than an hour before your heat and bring the start number emailed to you about a week before.

The weekend is Friday and Saturday. In 2026 the Friday programme included the 2,000 m from 16:00, the relay at 18:00 and the night swim at 19:45, and Saturday had the 10,000 m at 09:00, 2,000 m heats from 09:30, a speedos-only heat at 12:05, a family heat at 12:30 and the elite heats at 15:00. Check the event program for the exact schedule, which is updated regularly.

The organiser works with the City of Copenhagen on water quality and the event only goes ahead if it is acceptable; heavy rain can affect it, and in 2026 the organisers monitored the water throughout. Finishers can download a diploma with photos, time and placing from Sportstiming.

History

The first event was in 2006 with 260 participants, and it grew to more than 5,830 registered in 2026, the 20th anniversary. The organiser, SvømDanmark, runs it as a leisure swim with competitive heats for age groups and elite swimmers; the event is branded TrygFonden Copenhagen Swim on the organiser's site and TrygFonden Christiansborg Rundt on the timing partner's registration page.

Where to find out more

• TrygFonden Copenhagen Swim (opens in a new tab): The organiser's site: distances, route, FAQ and the interest list for 2027.
• The route (opens in a new tab): The course, landmark by landmark.
• Rules and safety (opens in a new tab): Wetsuit rule, water-quality policy and removal from the water.
• Distances (opens in a new tab): Each distance and heat explained, including the rolling start and the night swim.
• 2026 registration page (opens in a new tab): Prices and heats for the 2026 edition, on the timing partner's site.