El Gran Retto 2026 Becomes a Reality

Varadero will host the fifth consecutive edition of the Gran Retto open-water swimming event from September 11 to 13, despite the cancellations affecting much of Cuba’s 2026 sporting calendar because of the country’s difficult economic and energy situation.

The event will bring together a strong contingent of swimmers from Cuba and Mexico. The opening day will include accreditation, competitor packet distribution and a traditional meeting with the press. Racing begins on Saturday, September 12, with 750-meter, 1.5-kilometer and three-kilometer events, alongside a recreational sports festival and the popular Milla de la Cerveza race.

The main events will follow on Sunday, September 13: five- and 10-kilometer distance races, followed by the awards ceremony and closing. The major change this year is the combination of competitions. Alongside the Gran Retto International Series final, Varadero will host a stop of the Panam Aquatics Open Water Swimming Series for the first time.

“Two competitions of this magnitude are coming together in Varadero for the first time. This means amateur swimmers, masters categories and elite professional athletes will share the same venue in an atmosphere of rigorous international standards,” the organizers said on Gran Retto’s official platforms.

The event is presented as a sign of the resilience of Cuban sport and as evidence of Varadero’s ability to host continental and world-level competitions. The resort has previously staged boxing, judo, wrestling, modern pentathlon, triathlon and baseball five events. The organizers say the combined circuits are expected to bring athletes from more than 40 countries in future editions.

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Two competitions of this magnitude are coming together in Varadero for the first time. This means amateur swimmers, masters categories and elite professional athletes will share the same venue in an atmosphere of rigorous international standards.