After 6 years’ hiatus, the Sun Moon Lake Triathlon is back in July; the 10,000-Person Swim will kick off at the end of August

▲ Sun Moon Lake’s biggest annual event, the “10,000-Person Swim,” will be held earlier than usual at the end of August this year. (Photo provided by Xiao Tsai)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Taiwan’s annual swimming highlight — the Sun Moon Lake 10,000-Person Swim — will break from its usual schedule of taking place on the Sunday before the Mid-Autumn Festival this year and will be held earlier, on August 31. Although the organizers have specially increased the quota to 27,000 participants this year, all slots were filled on the first day of registration on the 23rd.

The “Sun Moon Lake International 10,000-Person Swim Carnival,” which has attracted numerous domestic and international swimmers for 32 years, will be held earlier this year due to overlapping with the Mid-Autumn holiday period, making it the earliest in recent years. The 10,000-Person Swim is divided into domestic and international groups, and its popularity remains undiminished this year. Even though the organizers adopted a segmented release of registration slots, all available spots were taken on the first day.

The “Sun Moon Lake International Triathlon Championship,” which hasn’t been held since 2008 and hadn’t taken place for six years, will also return to Sun Moon Lake this year, kicking off earlier on July 26. The organizers stated that the Sun Moon Lake Triathlon and the 10,000-Person Swim are the only two events in Taiwan that offer the chance to swim across Sun Moon Lake. The race route includes not only the swim across the lake but also cycling along Provincial Highway 21 and a running segment around the lake’s cycling path. Registration closes on the 24th, and the public can check details on the official Facebook page of the Chinese Taipei Triathlon Association.