Over 100 foreign swimmers in Oceanman Maldives so far

A total of 142 swimmers from 19 countries have registered for the Maldives edition of Oceanman Global, the world’s leading open-water swimming franchise.

The event scheduled to take place in Kaafu Atoll Maafushi in April 2026 is set to become the largest open-water swimming competition ever held in Maldives.

The tournament is organized in partnership with Swim Maldives.

Of the registered swimmers, 108 are international participants, following the opening of registrations in October.

The Maldives has 34 registered swimmers, while Russia follows with 27 participants. Other competing countries include Malaysia with 20 swimmers, Thailand with 17, and Indonesia with 16.

Additional participants hail from Italy, England, Canada, France, Mexico, and several other countries.

The event offers 501 total slots, of which 28 percent have been filled.

Registration for the event remains open.

The highest number of entries so far are in the Half Oceanman (5 km) and Sprint (2 km) categories, with 52 swimmers participating in these two races. The Oceanman 1 (10 km) category has attracted 23 participants.

Swim Maldives, the local franchise partner of Oceanman Global, has stated that international-standard safety and event arrangements will be ensured throughout the competition.

The top 10 swimmers in each age group will qualify for the Oceanman World Championships, an annual event open only to those who meet the qualification criteria. Medals and trophies will be awarded to the top three overall swimmers and the top three in each age group.

The tournament is endorsed by the Visit Maldives Corporation and will be conducted under official Maldives tourism branding.

Oceanman Global, launched ten years ago, is the world’s first open-water swimming franchise. Its events are held annually in 26 countries, featuring 1,500–2,000 swimmers in each of its 38 races.

The Maldives edition is organised by Swim Maldives, an association dedicated to promoting swimming in the country and conducting activities for both competitive and recreational swimmers.