From Slowtwitch:
Portland, Maine will host the first ÖTILLÖ SwimRun-inspired event in North America, so you best organize a teammate, swim paddles and pull buoys.
”SwimRun has had an explosive growth in Scandinavia and Europe over the past few years. From the humble beginnings in the Swedish archipelago 10 years ago, there are now thousands of participants and over 50 races in Sweden annually. Races all over Europe are popping up and selling out. And now, finally, an American SwimRun race,” said Jonas Colting, 3-time winner of ÖTILLÖ and the only person to complete in all ten editions of the SwimRun World Championships.
Consisting of multiple alternating swim and overland running legs (island roads, trails, and shoreline scrambles) between 8 islands in Portland’s spectacular Casco Bay, this adventure will test competitors with run legs across nearly 10 miles of varied island terrain and a combined 4 miles of open water swimming.
“Maine’s Casco Bay is famed for its assorted islands of spectacular beauty that make it a natural location to stage the first ‘OTILLO-style’ SwimRun in the US”, says Jeff Cole, co-organizer of the event.
The Casco Bay Islands SwimRun is a two-person team event. Rules permit swim aids such as hand paddles, pull buoys, wetsuits and even swim fins to name a few, as long as they are carried the full distance. Hydration and race fuel are typically carried by the competitors as well. Certain safety gear is mandated by race rules. Changing from trail shoes to swim fins, or tending to awkward gear, can chew up valuable time. Thus having the right teammate and equipment can make all the difference…
Read the full article HERE.
0 Comments