A unique on-water safety operation will ensure that more than 10,000 participants starting at Révfülöp reach the finish safely at Balatonboglár. The fleet forming the world’s longest floating corridor includes three hospital boats, providing participants with added peace of mind and ensuring immediate medical assistance whenever needed.
The 5.2-kilometre water corridor between Révfülöp and Balatonboglár is lined by a fleet of 150 sailing boats, creating the world’s longest floating corridor across a lake. Following a public call issued well in advance of the event, the majority of the volunteer boat owners come from sailing clubs around Lake Balaton, using their own family boats. The boats are positioned at approximately 50-metre intervals, aligned with a line of anchored buoys placed before dawn at 500 metres from each other. What makes the operation truly unique is that it is carried out in the early morning darkness. Using military-grade spotlights sweeping across the lake from the shore, specialists determine the exact positions of the buoys and boats with military binoculars. The fleet’s final positioning on the water is coordinated by five motorboats and officers of the Water Police.
“When a swimmer enters the water at Révfülöp, their only concern should ideally be maintaining their pace and reaching the opposite shore. Our job is to provide the safe, reassuring environment that allows them to do just that. Having more than 10,000 people in the water at the same time is an enormous responsibility and a major logistics challenge. That’s why we build this floating corridor, reinforced by hospital boats, to ensure that every single participant can reach the shore at Balatonboglár as safely as possible,” said Árpád Kocsis, Managing Director of the Budapest Sports Office (BSI).
Entry limit reached in record time
Never before has one of Europe’s – and indeed the world’s – largest open-water swimming events sold out so early. The 10,500-entry limit for the 5.2-kilometre main race of the 44th Lidl Lake Balaton Crossing was reached at a record pace, seven weeks before the event. Just a few days later, entries for the 2.6-kilometre half-distance swim and the Yettel Balaton SUP Crossing event also sold out. According to the event organiser, the Budapest Sports Office (BSI), the unprecedented demand shows that crossing “the Hungarian Sea” has become a true bucket-list experience, shared and enjoyed by generations of participants.
"At Lidl, promoting an active and healthy lifestyle is one of our key priorities, so we are delighted that the 44th Lidl Lake Balaton Crossing has attracted more participants than ever before. This iconic event offers a fantastic opportunity for people to create lasting summer memories and proudly say they have paddled or swum across Lake Balaton. We are proud that over the past ten years, more than 450 Lidl employees have completed one of the Lake Balaton Crossing distances. This year, that number will continue to grow, with more than 70 employees taking to the start line. Their shared achievement reflects the strong team spirit of #teamlidl and our long-standing commitment to sport and an active lifestyle. This year, we also want to create a memorable experience not only for the swimmers, but also for their families and supporters. That's why Lidl will welcome visitors on both shores of the lake with a range of fun and educational activities. We believe community events like the Lake Balaton Crossing will inspire more people to embrace an active lifestyle and make healthier choices in their everyday lives," said Dr Tamás Kaibinger, Head of Corporate Affairs at Lidl Hungary.
Record number of SUP paddlers set to take on Lake Balaton
Alongside the traditional swimming events, the Yettel Balaton SUP Crossing challenge is also set to make history, with a record number of stand-up paddleboarders crossing Lake Balaton at the same time. Throughout the crossing between the northern and southern shores, the SUP field will be accompanied by motorboats in a dedicated lane reserved exclusively for paddleboarders. In addition to the official safety operation, participants can also keep an eye on one another, as standing on their boards gives them a clear view across the entire field.
"We're delighted to see the SUP category growing in popularity year after year, with more than 1,000 registrations received this time. This is our third year supporting one of Hungary's most popular summer sporting events, and we're especially proud to be the title sponsor of the SUP category for the first time this year. Stand-up paddleboarding is a great alternative for those who prefer not to swim but still want to be part of this unique event. With our high-speed mobile network, AI-powered solutions, charging stations, the SUP-PORT hub and on-site mobile service points, we're helping turn the day into a truly connected community experience," said Judit Tőzsér, Corporate Communications Director at Yettel Hungary.
The 44th Lidl Lake Balaton Crossing and the Yettel Balaton SUP Crossing will take place on Saturday, 18 July 2026. The main swim and SUP events will start from Révfülöp, while the half-distance swim will begin in Balatonboglár. The finish line for all events will be at the Platán Beach in Balatonboglár.
As in previous years, the final decision on whether the event can go ahead as planned will depend on the weather. The decision will be made at 12:00 noon on Thursday, 16 July, based on the weather forecast provided by the HungaroMet Observatory in Siófok, in agreement with the Commander of the Lake Balaton Water Police Headquarters.