Long Beach Fire Department
Junior Lifeguard Program
LONG BEACH IRONGUARD
History
Since 1975, the Ironguard has been a longstanding tradition in the Long Beach Junior Lifeguard program. Each year, the last week of the junior lifeguard program is marked by this event. Junior guards and their supporters gather at 1st Place and race all the way to the end of the sand at 72nd Place on the Peninsula. The course consists of four miles of running and two miles of swimming. Participants swim around 14 buoys, one at each lifeguard tower, plus all the way around the pier and run the distances in between. A perpetual trophy for the boys & girls top finishers of the A, B and C divisions respectively was created in 2009. Each year, the JG program hosts a hat design contest for the event. The winner has their design displayed on a hat that is rewarded to all participants that finish the event in under 2 hours.
Details
Date
June 29th, 2025
Start Time
9 AM Sharp!
Start Line
1st Place LG Tower
Finish Line
72nd Place LG Station
Registration
Registration begins at 8:00am for all participants. We will have separate lines for A's, B's, and C's. Parents - if you are going to participate with your JG, you do not need to register.
Safety
The JG team requests additional resources to ensure our JGs stay safe during the event. If for some reason your child does not finish the Ironguard, they are required to notify a lifeguard on the beach before they leave. For safety reasons we need to make sure every child is accounted for.
Finish Line
Be sure your child is listening for their time as they cross the finish line! Right after they cross, there will be tables for each age group to report their time. We will have a celebration at the finish line for JG participants where we will provide a free meal!
Course Map
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What steps should I take to become a JG?
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What is the cost of the program?The cost of the 2025 Program will be $567.80 per junior lifeguard. Scholarships are available through Long Beach Unified School District to those who qualify. Please contact us at LBJG@longbeach.gov for more information.
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Are there scholarship opportunities available?Yes, we offer full and partial scholarships based on household income. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship please email LBJG@longbeach.gov.
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What is the program's refund policy?We issue full refunds of $555.80 (there is a $10 non-refundable processing fee), but we do not issue refunds for the AAU insurance. The last day to request a refund is Friday, June 28th (Friday of the first week of the summer program). You can send an email to LBJG@longbeach.gov and we will reach out to Parks & Rec to issue the refund. The refund will be credited to the card used to pay for the program.
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When are the registration deadlines?There are three separate registration deadlines. Please see below: April 18th, 2025: Priority Registration (JGs that participated in 2024) April 27th, 2025: Morning Lottery Registration May 25th, 2025: Last Chance Registration
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What is the difference between Priority registration and Lottery registration?Due to the high demand for our morning session, we have a strict policy for the selection of the morning group through Priority Registration and Lottery Registration. Priority Registration: RETURNING Junior Lifeguards are given priority for the selection of their preferred session but MUST submit registration packets by the designated registration deadline. Lottery Registration: All other junior lifeguards (including returning JGs that have NOT submitted registration by the priority deadline) who would like to be in the morning session will be placed in a lottery to determine which session they will be in. To be placed in the morning lottery, registration packets must be submitted by the Lottery Deadline. Families will be notified of their session placement via email.
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I have one child who is a returning JG and one child who will be new to the program this year, do both of my children qualify for priority registration?No. Only your returning JG qualifies for priority registration and ONLY if their registration packet is submitted by the priority registration deadline. Your child who will be participating for the first time this year will be entered into the lottery for session preference.
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Are uniforms included in the program cost?The program fee includes one t-shirt and one pair of swim trunks. If you would like to purchase additional uniform items you will need to pay for those separately. We highly recommend purchasing additional uniform items before the summer program. The link to our online store will be available before the 2025 summer program begins.
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My child is young/old for their grade and we would like to move them down/up to a different age group (age group change request). Is this possible?Returning JGs can request to move up/down a group pending approval from the JG Coordinator. If your JG is requesting to move age groups in the morning session, you must request the switch BEFORE the priority registration deadline. For new JGs, you are encouraged to remain in your true age group.
Hat Design Contest
Junior Guards who complete the Ironguard event in under 2 hours each summer receive a commemorative hat for their accomplishment. For the last two years, the design on this hat is done by one of our very own Junior Guards and selected by the JG Team and community. Below are all of our submitted designs. Thank you to all those that participated!
Jacob (A Group)
2024 WINNER!
Tyler (Cadet)
Cole (B Group)
Julian (B Group)
Lucah (C Group)
Elijah (B Group)
Olivine (B Group)
