Swim in trail shoes while tethered to a partner?
Written by Anita Halvorsen, Grit Endurance athlete and Swimrun aficionado!
Have you ever seen an athlete with a wetsuit that zippers in the front? Or someone that runs into the open water with shoes on and starts swimming? They most likely are swimrunners! Swimrun is a relatively young sport, with roots in the Swedish Archipelago (https://swimrun.com/history-of-swimrun/) starting with an amazing story…..One friend said to another, I’ll race you across this island. Then they added a swim to the next island and another run, and then another swim, and then another run….Swimrun was born! Check out https://otilloswimrun.com/ for the real story and videos of the races! Ötillö literally means “island to island” in Swedish.
Relatively new to the United States, many races exist in the UK, France, Norway and Sweden. The terrain is rough, rocky climbs in and out of each water transition and most runs are not on roads, many on single tracks through forests and over hills. Courses are marked with flags in trees or ground arrow signs, and athletes are prepped with general course directions at the start. Short distances total 15k or so, with 5ish swims and 6 or so runs. Long courses are 30-45k. You wear and carry what you need - cap, goggles, shorty wetsuit (zippered in the front for easy access to your nutrients), compression socks (protect the shins when you fall, and you WILL fall), compass, first aid kit and whistle (those are just in case but mandatory), collapsible water cup, and water-draining trail shoes. Because your shoes are heavy in the water, most use a pull buoy (affixed to your waist when running) and hand paddles while swimming.
Did we mention the 10-foot tether to your partner? Most swimruns can be done as a single or a pair. Most athletes highly recommend a team, as nature affords such an experience that you need a push from a mate. The tether is kept secured through the swims and runs, which from a safety perspective, you may find handy to be pulled at some point!
The OneWater Race (https://onewaterrace.com/) is the ULTIMATE swimrun, seconded by any event in the Ötillö World Series. We have conquered a few in the US, through Odyssey Swimrun (https://www.odysseyswimrun.com/), in Michigan and Texas. Nothing will top our event through the Swedish Archipelago (https://otilloswimrun.com/race/otillo-swimrun-final-15k) this past September. Our goals were taken up a notch!
The community is engaged and welcoming. While there are many current/former Ironperson and Triathlon athletes who are looking for a more adventure type experience, there are many swimmers and runners who don’t love a bike but appreciate open water, with looser format-type events. The course literally changes before your eyes as real-time weather effects climbs, jumps, runs, swims. Encouragement and a team-focused atmosphere can be found worldwide in this sport.
Please connect if you are ever interested in hearing more or have questions! We are confident Swimrun will explode in the upcoming years in the US, so don’t tease anyone who you think has their wetsuit on backward!