Cerenkov luminescence (CL) is produced by medical radioisotopes when charged (commonly beta (β+/-)) particles travel faster than light in a dielectric medium (tissue). This blue-weighted luminescence is both continuous and proportional to the reciprocal wavelength. CL imaging (CLI) promises an economical alternative to PET but is limited by the optical properties of tissue and special setup requirements. CL has been detected in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectrum (900 – 1700 nm) from linear accelerators operating in the MeV range but so far not from medical radioisotopes. This work is the first to show that the order of magnitude weaker SWIR CL from medical radioisotopes predicted by the Frank-Tamm equation can also be detected, using commercially available SWIR components. SWIR CL was detected from five clincial radioisotopes: 90Y, 68Ga, 18F, 89Zr, 131I and from 32P, used in biomedical research. The advantage of radioisotope SWIR CLI over conventional CLI is shown in terms of significantly increased light penetration and reduced scattering at tissue depth, in line with the known advantages of SWIR imaging. We report the radioisotope SWIR spectrum, the current detection sensitivity limit (0.23 µCi/µl of 68Ga) and determine the feasibility of SWIR CLI with ex vivo and in vivo preclinical examples. Further improvements in SWIR optics and technology are required to enable widespread adoption.