Jan-2015
ÖTILLÖ – Racing from island to island
ÖTILLÖ is a Swimrun in Sweden and according to CNN it is ranked as one of the toughest endurance races in the world! Teams of two persons swim and run 75 kilometers within the surroundings of 26 islands in the Stockholm archipelago. The race starts in the island Sandhamn and ends in Utö. With its unique environment and the entire mindset of the organization I got intrigued. I asked Michael Lemmel, the founder of Swimrun and Race Director of ÖTILLÖ, some questions about the entire happening.
Why is the race called ötillö?
Michael:
ÖTILLÖ means island to Island in Swedish. That is why we named the race so in the beginning.”
How was ÖTILLÖ born?
Michael:
The idea behind ÖTILLÖ was created through a drunken bet where the owner of Utö Värdshus and some friends challenged each other to who could be the fastest to Sandhamn. The losers would have to pay for dinner, drinks and hotel. It took them over 26 hours. My business partner Mats and I heard of this challenge from an acquaintance and thought it sounded like an interesting idea to build a race from. That is how it started. Mats and I tried out what is now the course and decided that we could produce an interesting race in that environment. We were professional adventure racers at the time and saw a huge potential.”
What is the goal of ötillö?
Michael:
ÖTILLÖ has the ambition to build a new sport world wide. We call it Swimrun and want to be the inspiration to creating a new group of people who call themselves Swimrunners. The big goal is to inspire and motivate people to discover the world through new eyeglasses. A world where we share the experience with others, a world where we take care of nature and a world where we are respectful to each other.”
Who competes in Ötillö?
Michael:
The competitors are all very fit. They come from different worlds, professional triathletes, multisporters, swimmers and trail runners. But also, very strong amateurs, adrenaline junkies and elite military teams.”
Why are there always pairs racing and not single racers?
Michael:
Swimrun is a sport where we race in pairs. Primarily from a safety point of view but also because it is a great experience to share with someone else. It becomes more fun!”
Do you have to practice often if you want to compete?
Michael:
If your ambition is to finish ÖTILLÖ you need to practice often. However, Swimrun is a way to discover and explore nature and it does not have to be fast. You need to be able to swim and walk basically :-)”
How do you manage to race across those rocky parts of the islands?
Michael:
The racers are all very good at running off-road. You need to learn how to move efficiently over wet rocks. Once you know how to, it becomes second nature.”
Do you use any special equipment to be able to combine the running and swimming?
Michael:
In our races we have certain equipment that you must have. A wetsuit for warmth but also for buoyancy. A whistle for attracting attention if you are in trouble. All use swim-goggles. Some use short fins for swimming but you lose a lot of time when changing your shoes. Some use hand-paddles for swimming but you need to have the strength to manage. The fastest way is just to keep moving all the time.”
What was the most special happening during the last Ötillö swimruns?
Michael:
Every race is special. The weather changes all the time. It can at one point be warm and nice and at another point it can be hail. We see a lot of wild animals like moose and dear. People also tend to be interesting to follow as some very strange decisions are made when tired. All of a sudden we had a team swimming backwards along the course.. they had done a full circle around the last island and did not realize when they jumped into the water in the same place they got out..”
Which new country would you like to see in the next Ötillö swimrun?
Michael:
In the next couple of years we hope to organize new races in Europe. UK, France, Germany, Spain, Holland who knows 🙂 We will not tell until it is ready to be released.. :-)”
Well, I can definitely think of some friends of mine who would be interested in joining the next Swimrun! Perhaps even myself… let’s see!
Who will compete this year?
*All photo credits go to Jakob Edholm and Nadja Odenhage.
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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