The distance between the start and the finish is 77 km at the shortcut.
NevaRace is held from June to September inclusive. In June and September, the water temperature is 12-17 degrees. From the second half of July to the end of August, this figure can reach 16-20 degrees, sometimes the water warms up to 21-23 degrees. But in terms of weather, the region is complex and unpredictable. In July, it may snow (as it was in 2017) or the surface of water can warm up to 28 degrees (as happened in 2018).
During the swim, the flow of the Neva helps, and the speed of swimmers can increase to 11- 14 km / h. The water is usually calm, but at its mouth its temperature is 2-4 degrees lower than near the bay, since the Neva flows out of the cold Ladoga Lake. It gets harder to swim in the city due to waves that can arise because of ships sailing and the banks in the form of walls. Weather conditions for the swim are assessed by the organizers using forecasts from several sources and reported to swimmers on the eve of the start.
There can also be such a weather, in which no swims are held, yachts do not go out to the bay, and normal people do not go outside. In this case, you will have to wait for the weather to get better, which may take several days, or, on the contrary, shift the start a few days ahead until the storm has come. Dear non-resident participants! Mind that the swim may take a few days. Dear participants from Petersburg! Get ready to ask for a day off at work.
According to weather conditions, the swim can begin (and end) at any time. Security first and foremost, and the organizers are pursuing your interests only as the second priority.