OZ Mile Swim Festival Turns Beaver Lake into a Weekend of Racing and Community

Beaver Lake sits in the Ozark Highlands, clear water framed by quiet hills, and on September 19 and 20 it becomes the site of the OZ Mile Swim Festival. Bonnie Adams built this race so that every kind of swimmer in Northwest Arkansas could line up at the same start, on the same course, in the same lake.

The Deets

A Race Built for Everyone in the Water

Bonnie Adams is the founder of SWIM OZ, and she wanted a local race worth making a weekend trip for. Northwest Arkansas has a genuinely eclectic swim scene: former Division I swimmers, Ironman triathletes, recreational swimmers, high school state champions, para-athletes, and Special Olympic athletes all reside here. Wherever you fall in that mix, you have a wave.

The course runs a triangle on Beaver Lake, so if you’re in the stands, you can watch your swimmer for the full mile.

Saturday Opens with a Charity Swim and Expo

Saturday, September 19 opens with the Charity Swim from 10 AM to noon (check-in at 9 AM). You can swim multiple miles solo or split the distance as a relay, one mile at a time. 45% of all registration fees go directly to the event’s philanthropic partners, with The Joys of Swimming, an organization focused on water safety education, as the 2026 beneficiary. When you register, you can set up a personal fundraising page.

After the swim, the Expo runs from 10 AM to 3 PM at the same site. You can catch a Q&A session, a swim clinic with in-water practice for open water technique, live music, and drinks while you meet other swimmers before race day.

Sunday Race Day Waves

The individual OZ Mile takes place Sunday, September 20 with check-in opening at 8:30 AM. Five waves go off through the morning:

• 10:00 AM: Youth Wave (ages 13–18): top 3 male and female awards plus Youth Club Team recognition (registered USA Club required)
• 10:45 AM: Elite Wave (13 and over, swim time of 30 minutes or under required): times count toward Adult Club Team awards (registered USMS Club required)
• 11:30 AM: Age Group Wave (13 and over, brackets from 13–15 through 70 and over): 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per bracket
• 12:15 PM: Para Wave (13 and over): contact the swim director ahead of time to arrange accommodations
• 12:30 PM: OZ Wave (ages 8 and up, no awards, 75-minute time limit)

The OZ Wave has no gear restrictions. Wetsuit, fins, paddles, safety buoy, lifejacket, snorkel, kickboard: bring whatever gets you through the mile. Swimmers ages 8 to 12 must wear a safety buoy and swim with a partner aged 16 or older for the full race; they can also wear fins. All awards are presented at 1:45 PM.

Dive In Before Registration Prices Rise

Club team awards require a minimum of 10 swimmers, so if you have a group, coordinate early. Questions about the course, accommodations, or how the Para Wave works go directly to swim director Bonnie Adams at bonnie@thejoysofswimming.com.

Beaver Lake is calling. Sign up for the OZ Mile, join the Charity Swim, and be part of the community Adams has been building around this sport.