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Event Info
Ötillö Orcas Island

Full event info Otillo Orcas Island.

This takes place in the San Juan Islands off the west coast of the USA, in Washington state's Pacific North West.

With swimming in crystal lakes, trail running and mountain climbs, this has become a classic event, which is now held around the end of May each year.

ALL swimming is in the lakes on the island, NOT in the sea from island to island. The running sections are on trails, with some quite steep ascents and significant vertical gain in all three event distances.

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Event Info Ötillö Orcas Island

Location

Orcas Island, which is in the San Juan island group. Orcas Island is called "the gem of the San Juans". This is a horseshoe-shaped island covering 57 square miles, the majority of which is rural and hilly.

The small local population is made up of artists and farmers, and their studios and barns are dotted about over the island.

The usual date is late May each year.

How to get there

The nearest airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. (SEA).

From there you will have to hire a car for the 2-hour drive to the Washington State Ferry Terminal in Anacortes.

There are several ways to get to Orcas Island, but most people take one of the iconic Washington State Ferries from Anacortes. You should make a reservation on the ferry for your car, although walk-on passengers don’t need a reservation.

Visit TakeAFerry.com to see schedules and make reservations.

Where to stay

Ötillö has NOT made any arrangements or negotiated any discounts. The best locations to stay are the Rosario Resort or else in one of the Air BnBs on the island.

Where Are You Going To Stay On Orcas Island?

Find your accommodation here!

Race distances

There are 3 race distances, the Experience, the Sprint, and the World Series.

Experience is a short intro event, with a total distance of 10.58 km. Of that, 1.3 km is swimming, and 9.2 km is running. Total elevation is 307 metres.
Sprint is a medium-distance event, with a total distance of 22.4 km. Of that, 2.93 km is swimming, and 19.5 km is running. Elevation gain is a significant 593 metres, so there are hills to conquer!
The World Series event is the big one - covering 38.99 km, made up of 5.3 km swimming and 33.6 km of running. Total elevation is a steep 1,368 metres. Train for hill ascents!

Otillo swimrun Orcas Island athletes running through woodland

Image courtesy Otillo

Race routes

Start & Finish:
The start and finish for all distances is at Rosario Resort Beach House in Eastsound.

Bag drop
There is a bag drop facility at the Rosario Beach House. Mark your bag well. Remember, the bag drop is not guarded!

At the moment, only the route map for the World Series distance is showing on the Ötillö website.

Otillo Orcas Island World Series Route Map.

World series route map. Image courtesy Ötillö

Event Info Ötillö Orcas Island

Energy stations

Every water stop will be equipped with a minimum of two coolers. One cooler will contain regular water. The other cooler will be filled with Precision Hydration electrolyte-infused water. You can identify this cooler by the “PH” marking on its top.

Additionally, most, if not all, water stops will have a bucket or container holding PH gels.

No cups are available on course; you must bring your own collapsible cup or soft silicone bottle.

Please ensure that any trash you have is disposed of in the designated trash bag, typically tied to the handle of one of the water coolers. Leaving trash on the course or failing to use the trash bags will result in immediate disqualification and a ban from all future races.

Cut-off times

All distances have the same safety cut-offs:

11:00 Bottom of Mt. Constitution
12:30 Top of Mt. Constitution
14:00 South end of Mountain Lake
16:00 Finish Line Area – This is when the race officially ends.

Weather

Held in late May, it is early summer. The air temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius, and the water temperature is also around 10 - 12 degrees celcius.

However, the weather can be unpredictable, so check the forecast for the area before you travel, and pack appropriate clothing.

Wetsuits are MANDATORY for everyone, NO exceptions.

Orcas Island Whale Watching

Orcas Island Whale Watching Cruise

If you have time during your stay, why not take a whale watching tour with our trusted partner Viator?!

Get up close with the killer whales off Orcas Island, the largest of the San Juan Islands near Seattle, on this guided, 3.5-hour whale-watching cruise from Eastsound. Led by naturalist guides and captains, climb aboard a Blackfish fleet vessel and travel through some of the most picturesque scenery in the Pacific Northwest searching for orca, humpback and gray whales. Along the way, see ocean wildlife in their natural environment, like seals, porpoises, sea lions and otters — plus a wide variety of birds and more.

Sightings are guaranteed from April through early September, so ideal timing with the race.

Take a whale-watching cruise near Seattle
Visit Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands
See resident killer whales
Witness local ocean wildlife in their natural environment

Read more and check availability - Orcas Island Whale Watching

Summary of event info Otillo Orcas Island

The Ötillö Orcas Island swimrun event is unique. Overall, a spectacular location for an amazing swimrun event!

Check dates at our swimrun calendar USA/World 2026.

If you think our event info Otillo Orcas Island needs an amendment, please let us know via the Contact Us link. Thank you!

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Richard Mitchell, BDS, and Mogsy Ford are swimrun competitors and endurance athletes who write from direct racing experience. They have competed in swimrun since 2016, and bring added perspective from competitive running (5K to marathon) and open-water swim racing. Their website is known for its up-to-date global swimrun race calendars and has been mentioned by The Guardian newspaper. Married teammates, they build holidays around races and train together. Read more at the 'About Us' page.