Courtesy of Vojislav Mijić who writes about his rival and colleague.

“I didn’t just swim – I lived swimming,” said Milorad Rajšić (77, MSF bio here).

How true that is.

Especially when it came to the Jarak-Šabac Marathon Swim, formally known as the Plivački maraton Jarak-Šabac (“Peace Race“), a professional 19 km marathon swimming competition that has been held along the Sava River in Šabac, Serbia since 1970.

1970 was the year that Rajšić and a group of friends started the race that was organized by the Šabac Students’ Hometown Organization.

Over the course of the next three decades, Rajšić competed in the event a total of 28 times, winning 12 races overall. When he was not competing, he was serving as a promoter, commissioner, and event director.

History of Milorad Rajšić at the Plivački maraton Jarak-Šabac

• 1970 – Milorad Rajšić wins as sixteen swimmers participated in the inaugural competition.
• 1971 – Rajšić wins his 2nd race. Two women also participated: Olga Savić and Jasmina Đorđević.
• 1972 – Rajšić wins his 3rd race.
• 1973 – Rajšić wins his 4th race.
• 1974 – Rajšić wins his 5th race.
• 1975 – Rajšić wins his 6th race.
• 1976 – Rajšić wins two races on same day: 4.5 km and 12 km.
• 1977 – Rajšić wins his 9th race.
• 1978 – Rajšić finishes second to Vojislav Mijić as the course was lengthened to 16 km.
• 1979 – Rajšić wins his 10th race.
• 1980 – Rajšić wins his 11th race.
• 1981 – Rajšić wins his 12th race over competitors Mijić (on left), Rajšić (in middle, Milan Kvas (on right below).

• 1982 – The 13th edition saw many changes by organizer Youth Center Vera Blagojević as the event was renamed the Peace Race as the course was extended to 18.8 km. Top Yugoslav swimmers competed including winner Mario Šoljan from Stari Grad as Rajšić finished third in front of 30,000 spectators who followed the race.

• 1983 – 14th Peace Race saw 23 international swimmers participate with winner Bojan Jan with Rajšić in third.
• 1984 – 28 swimmers competed in the 15th marathon with winner Egyptian Mohamed Ali Yassen and Rajšić in 15th.
• 1985 – 16th race was won by Hungarian Zsolt Horvath as Rajšić placed 10th and Dragan Nikitović covered the race.
• 1989 – Nace Majcen of Slovenia won the 20th jubilee as Rajšić’s 12th place renewed public interest.
• 1990 – Nace Majcen won the 21st marathon as Rajšić placed 18th.
• 1991 – Due to war, the 22nd course was shortened to 4.5 km with Nebojša Poznanović winning and Rajšić finishing 3rd.
• 1992 – Organized by the Šabac Tourist Organization and SOFK, Rajšić won the 23rd Peace Race over seven swimmers.
• 1993 – 24th race took place despite inflation and war, aiming to preserve tradition. The 8 km race featured four swimmers with Vojislav Mijić winning and Milorad Rajšić finishing 2nd.
• 1994 – 9 swimmers competed in the 25th 8 km race with Mijić and Rajšić finishing 1st and 2nd. “I wasn’t thinking about winning. I only cared about keeping the tradition alive. But I almost won,” said Rajšić.
• 1995 – 26th Peace Race returned to its 18.8 km course. Zoltan Pavić won. 47-year-old Rajšić placed 6th.
• 1996 – 27th race saw 19 international swimmers with Macedonian Tomi Stefanovski winning and Rajšić in 8th while 400 carrier pigeons were released in his honor.

• 1998 – At the 29th marathon, Rajšić swam non-competitively.
• 1999 – At the 30th jubilee marathon, Rajšić swam an exhibition race and received a special plaque.
• 2005 – Two 36th marathons were held in Šabac: one as part of the FINA World Cup Series for professional marathon swimmers, the other for non-licensed swimmers. Rajšić co-organized the second event and also participated.
• 2007 – 38th Peace Race was organized by SUBNOR and Milorad Rajšić.
• 2008 – Peace Race was 11 km where Milorad Rajšić helped organize the race and finished 6th out of 14 swimmers.
• 2009 – 40th jubilee Peace Race saw 23 swimmers from 12 countries compete as 61-year-old Rajšić officially retired from marathon swimming.
• 2010 – Rajšić served as the promoter of the 41st Jarak–Šabac. as he took on the role of race director.
• 2011 – At the 42nd event, Rajšić jumped into the river at the 16th km and swam to the finish “for his soul”.
• 2014 – Rajšić swam in the 45th International “Jarak–Šabac” Marathon, finishing 14th.
• 2015 – The Šabac Open Water and Marathon Swimming Club, with Rajšić as its honorary president, organized a swim featuring 60 swimmers from 8 clubs.
• 2017 – 48th Peace Race was held with Rajšić as competition commissioner.
• 2018 – 49th Peace Race (Jarak–Šabac) was organized by the Serbian Federation for Open Water and Masters Swimming and the Šabac Tourist Organization as Rajšić served as race director.
• 2023 – 53rd Jarak–Šabac Marathon Peace Race was held with Rajšić as the event’s promoter.

“Everything I did for this marathon, the Peace Race Jarak–Šabac, I did out of deep love for swimming – but also for those who were executed in 1941 and those who were deported from Šabac to Jarak. I dedicated the best years of my youth, the most beautiful part of my life, to this race, and I have no regrets. I’m proud that my youth was devoted to the people who endured the ‘Bloody March.’” recalled Rajšić.

© 2025 Vojislav Mijić