STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, JULY 17, 2013
The eighth edition of ÖTILLÖ (“Island to Island”) has reached the status of being a prestigious event on the hard core scene of endurance racing for top notch triathletes, multisport athletes and endorphine junkies. The race, unique in its kind, is a “swimrun” competition where 120 teams of two swim between and run over 24 of the 100 000 stunning islands in the Stockholm archipelago. The total distance is 75 km of which 65 km are trail running and 10 km are open water swimming. The race date is September 2, signifying challenging water temperatures in the Baltic Sea, somewhere between 11-14 degrees Celsius. In December 2012 ÖTILLÖ was ranked by CNN as one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world.
Racing over and between 24 islands means 42 changes between running and swimming. To make it to the finish line before the cut-offs you can never stop. You run in your wetsuit and you swim in your shoes!
ÖTILLÖ is equal to 1.5 times the Ironman running distance (1.5 marathon) in your wetsuit and 3 times the ironman swim in your running shoes… 15 different nationalities are competing in the 2013 edition and the event attracts renown athletes like Jonas Colting (SWE), former World Champion in Ultra Triathlon, Swedish running legend Malin Ewerlöf and some very competitive triathletes from the UK, Germany, USA and France.
Colting has participated in all seven previous editions, won three of them and is eager to take back the title from last year’s winners Lennart Moberg and Magnus Olander.
“It’s a really tough race. To swim in open water with shoes on takes time and the running is primarily in difficult terrain. It’s very tough mentally. When you run in your wet suit you get really warm and when you swim you are freezing! I’ve heard of people who have swum to the wrong island and just had to cuddle up for an hour to warm up before they could get going again,“ said Jonas Colting, former World Champion in Ultra Triathlon and three times winner of the ÖTILLÖ.
Live broadcast
ÖTILLÖ will be broadcast 14h live September 2 on http://www.otilloswimrun.se
Media contact
Josefine Ås
press@otillo.se
+33 6 79 04 23 46
International TV Distribution
Eyesprint Communication
Simone Felsberger
simone@eye-sprint.com
+49 151 419 176 72
http://www.eye-sprint.com
Photos
Download photos free of right for press: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/38yq1ugy4m6wze3/G4BFG-rahs
©Jakob Edholm / ÖTILLÖ2012
Many more photos available on our flickr account http://www.flickr.com/photos/otillorace/
Fast Facts ÖTILLÖ
- 8th edition, September 2, 2013
- 120 teams – 80 men, 26 mixed, 14 women (114 on the start line)
- Start at the island of Sandhamn, finish at the island of Utö
- Fastest time 2013: 8 hours 35 minutes
- Previous Course record: 9 hours 07 minutes (2010)
- 75 km running and swimming from dawn till dusk
- 65 km of trail running
- 10 km of open water swimming
- Water temperature between 11-14 degrees C
- 24 islands to cross
- 42 in and outs of the water
- 42 changes between running and swimming
- The swims are between 100 and 1 780 m
- The runs are between 70 and 19 700 m
- Equal to 1,5 times the Ironman running distance (1.5 marathon) in your wetsuit and three times the ironman swim in your running shoes…
- Teams of two, for safety reasons
- 15 Nationalities: Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, UK, USA, S Africa, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Australia, Canada – All teams here: http://www.otilloswimrun.se/teams/
- In December 2012 ÖTILLÖ was ranked by CNN as one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world.
