SWIM RUN ÖTILLÖ WORLD SERIES, SCILLY ISLES
This year the ÖTILLÖ Swim Run leg will be held off the south of England on a paradisiac archipelago.
You swim from island to island, with water temperatures at 14°C, with your teammate followed by trail running sections in a most incredibly wild and beautiful backdrop. You have to finish the 37km (30km trail running & 7km swimming) under the strict time barriers. This is only for the extreme.
Text: KM. Photos : FO.
The Otillo Swim Run is already mythical and now with world cup status with stages all over Europe. But it was born somewhere in the south of Sweden, where the sea dances with the land and the multitude of archipelagos became a fantastic playground for swimming and running….or a total nightmare if you are hoping to go in a straight line..
In this beautiful natural reserve they cultivated the art of endurance mixing wetsuits with trail running shoes. You come across strange apparitions in the forests of curious birds running with swimming caps and goggles.
TEAM SPIRIT
The Swim Run Otillo is a duo team sport, the only rule; team spirit. In the chilly waters (14°C in the Scilly Isles…) you just need to know how to move forward together, make the most of your teammate’s wake, “stay in the bubbles”, and harmonize two rhythms into one. Once on land its good to boost each other so as not lose heart in the technical terrain or moments of fatigue. Helping each other is key with the multitude of water exits over slippery rocks, seaweed banks and water holes, which are so much easier as a team.
In the water the pull-boy serves to rest your legs a little to keep some energy for the running sections. You need to use all your arm strength, whilst keeping yourself in a straight line heading for the flags on the beach. No easy feat. You need strength, endurance, tenacity, technicity and good race sense. You need to keep in mind good alimentation and hydration. The multiple swim sections mixed with running don’t help with keeping a good rhythm with eating and drinking but it’s essential to keep energy levels up to go the distance.
EPIC BATTLE…
The Scilly Isles are superb, a genuine nature reserve at the edge of the world…even if it is just a hop, skip and a jump from the UK. It’s a place that creates literary genius by its sheer beauty and atmosphere. People with life stories engraved upon their faces from the sun, wind and sea salt, a life without cars and a local pub for conversation. A place where artists live alongside fishermen and villagers, where the prison has only been put into use one single time according to locals. Michael Lemmel, the great charismatic Swede and organizer of the Otillo World Series and the World Championships, is a man with taste. You don’t just swim in any old place under his discerning eye: the landscapes must be breathtaking with crystalline waters; in the Scilly Isles sea lions play near the beaches.
The village is built with stones from Sainte Marie where the start line sits under the curious stare of the locals’ watchful eye. You have to finish the 37km circuit which includes 30km trail running and 7km swimming split into 9 swim sessions, the longest being 2340m. Some passages are subject to strong undercurrents and the tidal range can also be very high, in this part of UK it can be up to 5m.
Last year the Swedish came in numbers but were left standing by the incredible undefeatable English swimmers. This year the battle that awaits will be exciting in these voluptuous islands with their pure waters and magnificent beaches. The “Swedish Force” will want their revenge! The battle this 17th June is going to be epic…
SWIM RUN Otillo race calendar: World Series et Championnat du monde.
ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series 2017
A tribute to the cultural heritage of the mediterranean
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Welcome to the birth place of Swimrun
Sunday, May 28, 2017
ÖTILLÖ SWIMRUN ISLES OF SCILLY
The ultimate swimrun destination
Saturday, June 17th 2017
The Alpine Swimrun Race
Sunday, July 9, 2017
The ÖTILLÖ tribute to Germany
Sunday, October 1st, 2017
ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship
The swimrun world championship
Monday, September 4th, 2017
Tout ÖTILLÖ se trouve là : renseignements et inscriptions : Otilloswirun.com
Transamericana avec Rickey Gates
