The Mile Swim Award is for Scouts who want to build endurance and confidence in the water. You'll pass the swimmer test, learn how pace and stroke choice affect long swims, show you're ready with a quarter mile, and then swim a full mile with proper supervision. It's a real accomplishment and great for your health.
Why it's worth it
A mile is more than 70 lengths of a 25-yard pool. Training for it teaches you to pace yourself, breathe steadily, and keep going when your arms want to quit. You'll train with qualified supervision until the distance feels doable, and learn the safety rules open-water swimmers rely on. It's fitness you can keep for life and a strong base for Lifesaving, long canoe trips, and aquatics staff jobs at camp.
Start this week
- Find out when your local pool has lap swim hours, or whether your summer camp runs Mile Swim training.
- Swim a set distance this week, like 10 lengths, and write down how long it took and how you felt.
- Ask your Scoutmaster how to find a council-approved counselor, like a camp Aquatics Instructor, who can supervise your swim and sign off the requirements.
- Pick one stroke you can swim smoothly for a long time and practice it slowly.
Plan ahead: There's no set number of training hours, but going from a quarter mile to a full mile usually takes a few weeks of regular swims. At summer camp, try to pass the swimmer test and prequalify early in the week so there's time left for the mile.
Stay safe
- Train and swim only under Safe Swim Defense, with qualified supervision and a buddy every time.
- In open water, stay on the marked course near your escort, and signal right away if you feel cold, cramped, or too tired.
Requirements · 4
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
Note: Work with a council-approved counselor, such as a Scouting America Aquatics Instructor, who supervises the swim and signs off the requirements.
- Requirement 1
Pass the swimmer test: enter feetfirst in water over your head, level off, swim 75 yards strongly using sidestroke, breaststroke, trudgen, or crawl, then 25 yards of easy resting backstroke, all 100 yards in one swim without stopping and with at least one sharp turn
Tip: Practice the whole test in one swim: 75 yards of a strong stroke with a sharp turn, then 25 yards of easy backstroke to rest. Many camps and pools offer the test at the start of the season.
- Requirement 2
Learn through discussion and practice how skill, stamina, stroke choice, and pace affect distance swimming
Tip: Try a few strokes over longer distances and notice which one you can keep up without getting winded. Ask your counselor about pacing, breathing, and switching strokes to rest.
For example: Swim 100 yards each of crawl, breaststroke, and sidestroke and notice which one you could keep going the longest. Then swim a few lengths fast and a few slow, and talk with your counselor about why an even pace beats a fast start.
- Requirement 3
Prequalify by swimming 1/4 mile without stopping, or by otherwise showing a council-approved counselor you're ready
Tip: Build up to a quarter mile a few lengths at a time. In a 25-yard pool, that's about 18 lengths.
For example: Swim about 18 lengths of a 25-yard pool without stopping. Keep moving through the turns instead of resting on the wall.
- Requirement 4
Swim 1 mile under safe conditions on a course the supervising counselor approves
Tip: Swim at a steady pace you can keep up. Your counselor approves the course and supervises the swim to make sure you're safe.
For example: Pick a stroke you can hold for a long time and settle into a rhythm instead of racing. Counting lengths or strokes in sets of 10 helps you stay steady and keep track.
Ask yourself
- How did you feel about swimming a mile before you started training?
- What did you tell yourself in the middle of a swim when you got tired?
- What changed between your first training session and your last?
- What would you say to a Scout who thinks they're not a strong enough swimmer to try?
Good questions to ask your aquatics instructor
- How should I pace myself so I don't run out of energy halfway?
- What's different about swimming in a lake compared with a pool?
- What change in my stroke would make long swims easier?
- What would it take to be ready for Lifesaving or a waterfront staff job?
Helpful reads
For leaders & parents
- Arrange training sessions at a pool or summer camp with qualified aquatics staff.
- Ensure open-water swims have proper escorts and supervision.
People & places that can help
- Local pool or YMCA — Lap swimming time and coaching.
- American Red Cross (opens in a new tab) — Swimming and water safety programs.
- Summer camp aquatics staff — Often run Mile Swim training at camp.
- Mile Swim Award (opens in a new tab) — Scouting America's official requirements for the award.
- Scouting America Aquatics (opens in a new tab) — Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, and other aquatics resources.
- U.S. Masters Swimming: Training (opens in a new tab) — Technique tips and workouts to help you swim farther with less effort.
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.