The Sea to Sky already boasts an embarrassment of riches when it comes to prolific sporting events: Crankworx, the XTerra triathlon, the upcoming and highly controversial Ultra Trail Whistler, and many more. Get ready to add a fresh new option to the mix, for ÖTILLÖ Swimrun is coming to Whistler.
Swimrun, much like its name would entail, involves running to a given body of water, swimming through it, getting out to run… and repeating the process. Unlike with triathlon, contestants must swim with their running shoes on, and run in their wetsuits or water-resistant clothing. It’s a distinct challenge, and one that originated more than two decades ago from—of all things—a drunken bet.
In 2002, four Swedes decided to tackle an out-of-the-box proposition. They were to race from one end of the Stockholm archipelago to another—a 70-kilometre distance—without vehicles or aids. The losing team had to pay for food, drink and accommodation upon reaching the endpoint of Sandhamn.
Four years later, Swedish adventure racers Mats Skott and Michael Lemmel turned the challenge into a commercial event.
Island to island
ÖTILLÖ (which means “island to island” in Swedish) had fairly humble beginnings. At first, only two teams out of an 11-squad field managed to finish within prescribed time limits. Today, swimrun is recognized as one of the most difficult one-day races on Earth—yet it is also surging in terms of popularity.
“This is the fastest growing multi-sport discipline in the world right now,” said race director Dale Tiessen.
Swimrun’s first stop in Whistler will have three formats to choose from. Each is open to teams and individuals alike.
Tiessen figures the relatively beginner-friendly experience discipline will take less than two hours for most, and appeals to a broad group of active locals who want to try something new and fresh.
The sprint event is a step up: covering about 20 kilometres, it’s a rugged challenge that may take prepared contenders three or four hours to knock down.
Athletes who commit to the World Series standard sign up for roughly the distance of a marathon—40 kilometres—with seven of those kilometres traversed through water. That’s easily a five or six-hour day, even for well-conditioned participants.
“In doing so, though, you get a full breadth of what Whistler has to offer,” Tiessen said. “You get to swim in all of the lakes, you get to see the town basically from the south all the way to the north. One of the runs is currently planned to go right through Parkhurst Ghost Town [on the northeast side of Green Lake].”
While swimrun is a relative novelty, Tiessen is well-known among Sea to Sky circles for his extensive work with the Whistler Triathlon Club (WTC). The lifelong athlete has also co-owned the Comfy Numb trail race and founded XTerra before handing the keys to that race over to Kristian Manietta. Tiessen contacted ÖTILLÖ a few months ago to bring their flagship event to Whistler.
Revamping the multi-sport scene
It is said every Whistlerite is a current, former or future Olympian. That piece of hyperbole encapsulates the active subculture found in these parts, with many engaging in sport for a variety of personal and professional reasons. Swimrun can appeal to both.
“It can be more of a personal challenge, and I think that resonates with the local community here that likes to challenge themselves by doing these types of events,” said Tiessen. “[For them], it’s less about competition and more about the act of participating and the community that brings.
“On the other hand, the growth in the sport is happening because a lot of traditional triathletes are looking for something more adventurous. The idea of a swimrun brings something new to multi-sport disciplines, so that’s why the person who’s been competing in triathlon for 20 years and has done events like Ironman can [get excited].”
Tiessen is anticipating roughly 200 registrants for the debut Whistler event, including a healthy number of internationals who recognize the Sea to Sky as a top-flight sporting destination.
Remarks Swimrun chairman Christian Pirzer in a press release: “ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Whistler is the first new event developed by our partners in the U.S., [Lars Finanger and Aaron Palain], together with Dale Tiessen from Whistler. It is exciting to see how fast our new team created an additional event to the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series on the North American continent. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the growing Swimrun community in Canada and the U.S .to experience the magic of an ÖTILLÖ race in the beautiful nature of Whistler.
“We are also convinced that this event will be attractive for many European athletes to collect points for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series ranking and qualify for the Swimrun World Championship 2025.”
Those interested in registering for Swimrun come July 7, whether as a competitor or as a much-needed volunteer, can find more information at otillowhistler.com. Locals can use the discount code FRIENDSOFWHISTLER15.
