The inaugural Pier-to-Pier Challenge, a 12.6-mile swimming race from the Manhattan Beach Pier to the Santa Monica Pier, will be held Oct. 16, organizers announced Monday.
Races will also be held at 1.2, 2.4 and 4.8 miles, along with relays.
“We hope this event will inspire people to challenge themselves,” said Alan Morelli, chief executive of OptimisCorp., the parent company of OptimisSport, the athletic training company which is organizing the race. “We wanted to try to capture people’s imagination as to what an athlete can achieve using science and evidence-based approaches to training.”
Swimmers from Australia and the United Kingdom are expected to compete, Morelli said.
Proceeds from the race will benefit the environmental organization Heal the Bay and Exceeding Expectations Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works with at-risk children, Morelli said.
More information on the race is available on its website, www.distanceswimchallenge.com.