Some Mondays are better than others. This years ÖTILLÖ, our 13th turned out to be a near perfect Monday.
We were on our toes as we made a major change from all previous years. We spent the night before the race at @djurönäset. All 442 of us. This added a logistical factor for the early morning which we could plan but not control. At 4:30 am there really is no room for error. Gratefully this worked out perfect and we actual like that morning transport of anticipation to Sandhamn. Huge thanks to Djurönäset for making our 18 hour stay perfect.
The morning was perfect. No humidity. Warm and clear skies. A fast day was ahead of us. After the gun went off this became quite clear.
From about 30% into the race the top teams were all about 15 minutes ahead of last years times. In all three categories. Then they pushed each other hard. Either they would crack or the previous course records would crack.
In the back of the field the pace was also higher than previous years. Both because of the perfect conditions but also because more and more people train more and more. In the end we had only 12 teams out of the 160 that did not finish.
The water was warm, the Pig Swim was like a swimming pool and we even had seals in the water around some teams in some places.
Incredible finishes by the winners in all three categories and massive congratulations to everyone that started this race.
Pictures are fantastic. Find them on Flickr. The LIVE webcast was incredible. Please find it on YouTube.
Our sponsors deserve a special mention because we cannot do this without you!
We know one thing for sure – we will not have weather like 2018 again.
There are so many stories to tell. Please tell us about yours!
Together we are stronger!
With massive respect
Michael / Mats & the whole ÖTILLÖ team
