The island of Utö in the Stockholm archipelago hosts the finish of ÖTILLÖ, the international swimrun endurance race and world championship event on 5 September 2016. Utö is also the venue of the first swimrun race of the season. The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Utö is a qualifier race to the ÖTILLÖ world championship and is part of the new ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series.
Almost 300 teams (600 competitors) and 17 different nationalities will take on ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Utö, on Sunday 29 May. The competitors run and swim a total of 39.8 km around the island of Utö and its neighbouring islands. The teams will give it all they have to earn one of the coveted eight qualifying spots to ÖTILLÖ in September.
The day prior the race, on Saturday 28 May, a shorter event of 12 km, the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Sprint Utö, is organised for those who wish to try swimrun racing for the first time or ‘stick to more human challenges!’
The ÖTILLÖ organizers have also presented Garmin as one of its three international partners. Garmin has a number of products for swimrun, with the Garmin Fenix 3, ‘the first watch ever with a real swimrun application’ and with its Garmin Virb XE Action camera.’
The ÖTILLÖ team note that swimrun is ‘one of the fastest growing sports in Europe’, where athletes form teams of two and ‘alternate running and swimming on a course in wild nature’. With the many changes between running and swimming, athletes run in their wetsuits and swim in their shoes. The ÖTILLÖ qualifier at Utö is a bit more than half the length of the main ÖTILLÖ championship in September but is still a gruelling challenge.
To succeed, athletes need to be fast between the changes of running and swimming and never stop. Early spring means that competitors need to be ready for some cold Baltic sea water (9-12 degrees C)!
Reigning and previous world champions and other experienced swimrun adepts are on the start list for Utö, as well as new hungry athletes, who will give the veterans a run for their money to catch a qualifier spot to ÖTILLÖ.
Taking place in September, ÖTILLÖ is billed as the original and the world’s longest swimrun race, renown as one of the toughest one-day races in the world. Here, athletes run 65 km on island trails, slippery rocks, unbeaten terrain and swim a total of 10 km in the cold water of the Baltic Sea. The water is cold, athletes fight against currents and the course is long.
To make it to the finish line before the cut-offs and darkness athletes ‘can never stop’. ÖTILLÖ is celebrating its 11th edition on 5 September 2016. 120 teams participate and 700 teams are on the waiting list.
