Swimrun came to Finland in 2014 with the Solvalla Swimrun, held every year from then on in Noux National Park which offers challenging, but extremely beautiful Finnish forest landscapes that are very unusual for the southern part of Finland.
The competition began with only 16 teams at the full distance start line. Today, three years later, the number of participants has grown to almost 100 teams split between sprint and full distance. New from 2016, a middle distance called Solvalla Swimrun Endurance was added, which provides an excellent opportunity for sprint racers to step up to the next level.
Superb surroundings, tough race
The national park provides the perfect environment for swimrun with its 80 lakes, old-growth forests, rocky hills and valleys, which were formed by the Ice Age. The race goes through lakes surrounded by open bogs, as well as lakes with crystal-clear water and rocky shores. As Solvalla Swimrun takes place in September the waters are typically chilly, around 13°C, which adds an extra hurdle for the racers.
In addition to the breathtaking nature, Solvalla Swimrun also challenges your endurance. At some places, hills reach about 100 meters above sea level. Two of the highest and toughest climbs in the full and middle distance are a stair climb of 320 steps, and, of course, the uphill climb of the notorious Swinghill, which crowns the full and middle distance races.
Solvalla is all about swimrun fun and team spirit
At Solvalla Swimrun, creating a convivial atmosphere where team spirit and the fun of swimrun are our focus as we aim to provide all participants with an experience of a lifetime. During the race we have staff and sport institute students cheering you on your journey and pushing you forward all the way to the finish line. After conquering the race you can treat yourself to a relaxing sauna session in a traditional Finnish lakeside sauna.
Join us for the tough Solvalla Swimrun adventure, with its amazing natural landscape, on Saturday, September, 16, 2017.
Technical bits
The location of Solvalla Swimrun is very convenient, as it’s located only 30 minutes from the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Helsinki city centre. The race is open to Men, Women and Mixed categories and starts from the Solvalla Sports Institute, which can accommodate up to 120 competitors. Due to the everchanging nature within the park, the course could be modified in terms of number of transitions.
Solvalla Swimrun ÖTILLÖ Merit Race
Total distance: 40 km, including 6 km of swimming
Transitions: 32
Solvalla Swimrun Endurance Race
Total distance: 25km, including 3.5 km of swimming
Transitions: 20
Solvalla Swimrun Sprint
Total distance: 15 km, including 2 km of swimming
Transitions: 12
Website: www.solvallaswimrun.com
Article first published in Swimrun Life Magazine Issue # 2 (Apr/May 2017)
