ÖTILLÖ SWIMRUN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship is the jewel in the crown. It is the mother of all swimruns and the origin of the sport. ÖTILLÖ is considered to be one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world.
About ÖTILLÖ?
ÖTILLÖ is the original Swimrun race and the Swimrun World Championship. Teams of two swim between 25 islands and run across them, with 46 transitions between water and land.
The total distance is 70 km: 9 km of open-water swimming and 61 km of trail running.
hOW IT BEGUN
It started in 2002 with a bet between four friends. They decided to challenge themselves by traversing the Stockholm Archipelago from the island of Utö to Sandhamn, using a combination of swimming and running. The idea was to race in pairs, navigating rugged landscapes and open waters, with the first team to reach Sandhamn declared the winner: “Last team of two to Sandhamn pays for hotel, dinner and drinks.”
The name ÖTILLÖ, derived from the Swedish words “ö” (island) and “till” (to), perfectly captures the essence of the sport: a journey from island to island.
tHE COURSE
The course winds through the Stockholm Archipelago, with rocky trails, dense forest and open-water swims. It starts in Sandhamn, a mythical place for swimrunners, and finishes at Utö Värdshus on Utö, the arrival every team dreams of.
In the early years the winning time was around 26 hours. As the sport evolved, elite athletes optimised their training and strategy, and in recent editions the best teams finish in about 7 hours.
WELCOME TO Stockholm
Stockholm is a city full of energy, where something happens every day: exhibitions, concerts, guided tours and world-class events. Between the cafés, restaurants and shops, there is always something to discover. Just outside the city, the archipelago offers quiet islands and wide-open nature, the perfect escape. Whether you are after adventure, culture or great food, Stockholm has something for everyone.
stockholm archipelago
The Stockholm Archipelago is a stunning cluster of over 30,000 islands and islets situated in the Baltic Sea, just east of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The archipelago spans a vast area, offering a diverse landscape of rocky cliffs, lush forests, and serene waterways. It is a popular destination for boating, sailing, and outdoor activities, and it is the birthplace of Swimrun.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The World Championship is not a race you simply sign up for. You earn your place.
To start at ÖTILLÖ, you qualify by racing and collecting points in the Swimrun Ranking during the season. Those points decide who lines up in Sandhamn.
Not qualified yet? Each year, we also award a few Wild Cards to newcomers and athletes without points.
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