The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun is a different kind of marathon.
By now you probably know this about me, but when it comes to sports, I like to try out all kinds of different things.
The ÖtillÖ (island-to-island) Swimrun is a marathon that originated in Sweden. For a full breakdown of what it is, read this.
Suffice it to say, the Swimrun involves swimming, and running. You rinse and repeat several times, with the goal of finishing the race. The ÖtillÖ Swimrun is more about camaraderie than competition, so it’s a great thing to do with friends.
I recently participated in the Swimrun held in Greenwich, Connecticut. Together with two of my friends, we ran, then swam, then ran, then swam, until our legs couldn’t take any more abuse.
As you can imagine, we got a lot of stares running around Greenwich, in soaking wetsuits, with squishy shoes. I was wearing my favorite wetsuit by Roka, some minimalistic Nike Frees, and of course, my Garmin watch.
One of the weirdest parts of a Swimrun is that you swim in your shoes, and that is a singular experience all on its own. We also swam through a boat mooring area, and had to dodge buoys and recreational boaters.
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My favorite thing about the ÖtillÖ Swimrun is the bonding. It isn’t like a normal marathon, and all the crazy obstacles make for great memories.
The original ÖtillÖ Swimrun began with a bet between two drunken friends, and was supposed to end at a bar where the loser bought all the drinks. The participants were too tired to drink after the race, and so were we.
It isn’t about the competition, but let’s just say that if we had ended up going out for drinks, I wouldn’t have been the one paying for them!
If you’re looking for adventurous new ways to test your endurance, the ÖtillÖ Swimrun is an excellent option.
