ÖTILLÖ WORLD SERIES ENGADIN – JULY 11
The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series continues. Today the stage was the beautiful Engadin valley in the Swiss Alps. Three weeks ago it was the islands around Utö in the Stockholm Archipelago. The contrast could not be bigger yet the impressive racing was the same.
For most part of the World Series race, in all three categories, the top teams broke away early and pushed hard down the valley. It is so impressive to see how fast they move.
As in 2020 Remi Mariette & Guillaume Henneman (FRA) – Team Gravelines Triathlon Head – managed a perfect race and scored a comfortable win.
Remi & Guillaume who also will be racing together at the 2021 World Championship on September 6th pushed hard on the first loop of the race above Maloja and made a comfortable gap to the chasing teams. The winning time was: 5 hours 25 minutes and 29 seconds. In second place Adriel Young (AUS) & Oscar Olsson (SWE) – The Aussie & The Swede – crept closer and closer as the race progressed. Finishing 7 minutes behind the winners. Pierre Massonneau & Fabien Besancon (FRA) – Team Argon 18 France – finished in third place, 11 minutes behind the winners.
All teams raced hard through the mountains from Maloja to Silvaplana. In total they covered almost 46 km of which 39 500 metres was trail running on 9 run sections and almost 6 000 metres of swimming on 8 swim sections in the mountain lakes. This race course is awesome and one of the most respected in the world of swimrun.
In the Mixed teams, last years winners Victor Dahl / Desirée Andersson (SWE) – Team Envol – showed why they will be a force to reckon with at the World Championship. Their winning time was 5 hours 36 minutes and 45 seconds. They finished 3rd overall and 13 minutes ahead of the second mixed team Sabina Rapelli/ Alexis Charrier (CH/FRA) – Team Envol Switzerland. The third team was Team Teysachaud – Bastian Breine & Debora Verbeleen (CH).
In the Womens category there were only four (4) teams at the start. Several of the racers being among the best in the business. Last years winner, Ulrika Eriksson (SWE) teamed up with powerhouse Marika Wagner (SWE) and managed to win again 11 minutes in front of Diane Sadik (CH) & Jenny Ramstedt (SWE) – Kraken Swimrun. In third place Helen Wikmar & Jenny Hedborn (SWE) – Team ARK Addnature. Ulrika and Marika won the race in 6 hours 22 minutes and 55 seconds, in 9th place overall.
For the first time in ÖTILLÖ history solo racers were allowed in the World Series distance. Six men and one woman came to start. Almost all of them finished the race with big smiles where Florian Schäfer (FRA) was the first solo man in 5:23:26 minutes. Florian made his push early on in the race coming down to the water of the second swim just ahead of the first Men team. From then on he increased his lead with a few minutes to be the first over the finish line. Nathalie Wong (CH) was the first and only solo woman. Nathalie raced in yesterdays Sprint and finished fourth in the mixed category. She could not find a partner for today so she decided to take the start in solo. Unfortunately she did not finish the whole course.
ÖTILLÖ WORLD SERIES ENGADIN 2021 – TOP 3:
MEN
1. Gravelines Tri/ Head – Guillaume Henneman & Remi Mariette FRA 5:25:29 Winner photo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0nf0cxbx9wp2whb/OTILLO%20Engadin%20-%202021%20-%20135555%20-%20110721%20-%20Akunamatata%20-%20HR.jpg?dl=0
2. Team the Aussie & the Swede – Adriel Young AUS & Oscar Olsson SWE – 5:33:06
3. Team Argon 18 France – Pierre Massonneau & Fabien Besancon FRA – 5:38:29
MIXED
1. Team Envol – Viktor Dahl & Desirée Andersson SWE – 5:36:45 – Winner photo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6li84tgumm9tktj/OTILLO%20Engadin%20-%202021%20-%20140810%20-%20110721%20-%20Akunamatata%20-%20HR.jpg?dl=0
2. Team Envol Switzerland – Sabina Rapelli CH & Alexis Charrier FRA – 5:50:18
3. Team Teysachaud – Bastian Breine CH & Debora Verbelen CH – 6:20:41
WOMEN
1. Team ARK Swimrun – Ulrika Eriksson & Marika Wagner SWE – 6:22:55 Winner photo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/16wtjak548kqoey/OTILLO%20Engadin%20-%202021%20-%20145313%20-%20110721%20-%20Akunamatata%20-%20HR.jpg?dl=0
2. Kraken Swimrun – Diane Sadik (CH) & Jenny Ramstedt SWE – 6:34:19
3. Team ARK Addnature – Helen Wikmar & Jenny Hedborn SWE – 6:37:13
WORLD SERIES DISTANCE SOLO
Men
1. Florian Schäfer (FRA) Winner time: 5:23:26 Winner photo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9hbvozxfwlul91d/OTILLO%20Engadin%20-%202021%20-%20135506%20-%20110721%20-%20Akunamatata%20-%20HR.jpg?dl=0
For the complete results: www.otilloswimrun.com
Read here to learn more about the races.
THE RACE WEEKEND
The Engadin valley in the Swiss Alps showed its best side this weekend. Perfect Swimrun weather with a little over 20 degrees in the air and moderate wind in the right direction for the racers. The water temperature in the mountain lakes can be quite cold and this year it was around 14 degrees.
The Sunday World Series race course was a total of 45 300 metres long with 8 swim sections, totalling 5800 metres and with 9 run sections for a total of 39 500 metres. The course goes from the village of Maloja to Silvaplana and along the way the racers do close to 1 500 metres of elevation gain along the course. This race course is considered hard and many look at it with awe. The trail running is quite technical with some steep uphills and some steep downhills. The swims are quite straight forward with a few cold surprises where streams and waterfalls feed the lakes with meltwater from the glaciers above.
The World Series race had few racers compared to earlier years due to travel restrictions and the continued effect of Covid on our society. Only 44 teams of two registered to the event.
Some of the teams were among the very best, several of them from France. Others came for a chance to qualify to the World Championship on September 6th and some came to finish this beautiful race.
In the same distance solo racers participated for the first time showing that the sport has evolved to the point where there is an interest for longer solo races. It is also a possibility for new racers to access the sport when they do not have a partner to race with.
It has been a fantastic weekend of Swimrun propaganda where the Saturday Sprint and Experience races had a total of close to 200 racers enjoying the fantastic Swimrun location that Silvaplana and the Engadin has to offer.
Over the weekend almost 300 swimrunners have enjoyed the perfect mountain weather and the hospitality of Silvaplana. On a positive note more Swiss racers than ever participated. All in all the racers represented 21 different nationalities.
The next stop for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series is on the Swedish West Coast where the Southern archipelago of Gothenburg will set the stage for yet another very different location. ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Gothenburg is a new race location this year and all races will happen on August 7th.
Hopefully the rest of the season will see a growing number of participants and that we can continue to host safe races.
PHOTOS FOR MEDIA
Press images with free usage rights for media: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u9sdsqn7h4cna5e/AADTJzNHvCA3s2wUvjvafATca?dl=0
Race images with free usage rights for media:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lhn3n58v99ekz2g/AAA5Ee_2aVlZ3kKiQgUIubNja?dl=0
