Bosphorus Cross-continental Swimming Race is organized under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee under large social and corporate support.

The Alcatraz Invitational Swim is an open water swimming competition hosted by the South End Rowing Club in San Francisco, California. Its record is held by Bob Placak, set in 1989 in 1 hour 5 minutes.

This is a competitive swim that may serve to generate funds for a favored charitable institution. The swim uses regulations issued by the Swimming Board of Birkirkara St. Joseph Sports Club in Malta. All swimmers are escorted by safety boats. Swimming in groups up to 4 is allowed, although group swimming is not part of the competition. Apart from the main marshal boat, a maritime team of paramedics accompanies the swimmers. The two-way 11 km swim starts in Marfa Bay, Malta with a turn-around buoy in Qala, Gozo and the finish in Marfa Bay. The one-way 5. km swim starts from Gozo.

The aQuellé Midmar Mile in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, organized by Wayne Riddin, is the world's largest competitive open water swim that attracts nearly 19,000 swimmers of all ages and abilities every year to South Africa.