44th Lidl Balaton swim draws record 10,500 participants, features world’s longest lake boat lane

On July 18 the 44th Lidl Balaton-átúszás took place, attracting a record 10,500 swimmers for the 5.2 km crossing between Révfülöp and Balatonboglár. Organisers built a temporary boat lane – described as the world’s longest lake boat lane – with anchored vessels every 50 m, three hospital ships and a giant pier to compensate for unusually low water levels. The complex safety system allowed the massive field to be monitored continuously.

Veteran swimmer Gurbán Béla, now 73, participated for the 44th time, having started at the inaugural event in 1979 and remaining the only athlete to finish every crossing. He joked about slowing down exponentially with age and expressed a personal goal of completing the swim with all six of his grandchildren hand‑in‑hand at the finish line.