SwimRun Races

Updated May 2024

SwimRun races take place all around the world. We have selected several of the better-known European races as an introduction. We have personally taken part in the races in Engadin in Switzerland, Hvar in Croatia, Bologna in Italy, and the World Series event in the Isles of Scilly, U.K., which is another event organised by Ötillö.

We also include a few events in the USA, the Blue Sky Endurance Fest in South Carolina, and the first Ötillö race in the USA, at Catalina Island. See further down this page.

AND, if you are looking for a Tough challenge, take a look at our page on Toughest Swimrun events. These are the hardest athletic races on the planet!

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Garmin Swim 2 GPS Watch

Toughest Swimrun Events

This is a page about some of the the hardest, toughest Swimrun races you can enter. We have picked just 6 events, due to the challenges of racing at night, covering extreme elevation, covering extreme distance, making a BASE jump into the final swim leg, and the 'Tough Enough" event at Ålund.

We also include an event in the UK that is not actually a race; it is a challenge, and only 70 people have completed it within 24 hours since 2005.

Have a browse through and see if you think you're tough enough to take on one of these extreme events! Go HERE to see our top 6 tough events.

A swim run competitor in a green swim cap swimming in the sea

World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.

SwimRun Isles of Scilly, U.K.

This race is organized by the original Swedish swimrun company, Ötillö, founded by Michael Lemmel and Mats Skott. The Isles of Scilly is a small group of islands that lie 30 miles off the south-west of England, out in the Atlantic Ocean. The group is made up of a number of islands, the bigger ones are inhabited, while a number of smaller islands are not inhabited.

At the Isles of Scilly event, there are 3 swimrun races to choose from. The shortest is the "Experience" distance, which is relatively short, and allows people to have a go without a big training commitment, and also allows people to enter as individuals rather than as teams of 2.

The middle distance is the "Sprint" event, which is open to couples as well as individuals, and covers several runs and swims.

The main event is the "World Series" distance, at 38km. This is for teams of 2 only (no individuals), and the final cut-off time is 8 hours.

Read more about the only Ötillö event in the U.K. HERE.

People sitting on a beach in the Isles of Scilly, UK, watching a swimrun event

SwimRun Isles of Scilly, U.K.

SwimRun Races

SwimRun Hvar, Croatia.

This is held on the beautiful island of Hvar, Croatia. The waters are quite literally crystal clear - a small boat moored near the shore appears to be floating on air - and the old Hvar Town is a quaint and charming resort.

This event is organized by the Ötillö company, and features 3 separate races. Again, there is the short "Experience" distance, which can be done as a couple or as an individual. Next is the intermediate "Sprint" distance, again for couples or individuals. Finally there is the long World Series event, which is for teams of 2 only.

Read more about Hvar HERE.

Two swimrun competitors swimming in crystal clear waters at Hvar, Croatia

SwimRun Hvar, Croatia.

SwimRun Engadin, Switzerland.

This is also organized by Ötillö, and is held in the picturesque Engadin valley, near the famous Swiss resort of St. Moritz. As before, there are 3 distances to choose from; The shortest is the introductory "Experience" event, the middle distance is the "Sprint" event, and the longest distance is the "World Series" event.

The Engadin valley is high in the Alps, which means the lake waters are cold, and the air is thinner than at sea level = less oxygen! This is an interesting location. Read more about this SwimRun race high in the Swiss Alps HERE.

Two swimrun competitors wearing green bibs and caps swimming at Engadin

SwimRun Engadin, Switzerland

SwimRun Bologña, Italy.

Despite the name, this race is not actually that near to the Italian city of Bologña. It's about 45 minutes by car south, which puts it closer to Florence! However, it is organized by the Bologna SwimRun company, and so bears that name. It is also an Ötillö merit race, which means any points you score count towards the Ötillö SwimRun Ranking System, and you are also covered by the Ötillö insurance, if you have taken it out.

It's held between 2 beautiful small lakes in the Italian countryside, and as usual there are several swimrun race distances to choose between.

Read more about the Bologna swimrun HERE.

Three swimrun competitors running uphill at the swimrun Bologna event at Lago de Suviana

SwimRun Bologña, Italy

Blue Sky Endurance Fest at John's Island in South Carolina.

This is an alternative style of SwimRun compared to the events above. It is organized by Blue Sky Endurance, a well-known swim/bike/run and triathlon shop in Charleston, SC. As you might expect, it incorporates elements of triathlon in the race.

It is basically a loop of Trophy Lake, 1 mile swimming followed by 1 mile off-road running. You can do this course 1, 2 or 3 times, amounting to total distances of 2, 4 or 6 miles, depending on which distance you enter.

Read more about the Blue Sky Endurance Fest HERE.

Blue Sky Endurance Fest logo

SwimRun Catalina Island, USA. (NOT in 2024)

This is the first event to be held in the USA organized by the inventors of SwimRun, Ötillö of Sweden. It promises to be spectacular and brutal at the 37,7km World Series distance, and more manageable but almost as spectacular at the 15km Sprint distance (for us Newbies!). There is also the shorter 7,8km Experience distance, and the options to race solo as an individual for the 2 shorter race distances.

Read all about this much talked-about and anticipated race HERE.

Ötillö SwimRun Catalina Island

SwimRun Costa Brava, Spain.

This is a recently introduced event, with 3 distances; the Marathon at 43 km, the Half at 21 km, and the Short at 11 km. It takes place on the Mediterranean coast of Northern Spain, about 90 minutes drive north of Barcelona. This is also an Ötillö Merit race.

Read more about this European event HERE.

SwimRun Costa Brava, Spain

We hope this guide to SwimRun Races around the world will be useful for you. Remember to look at our SwimRun Calendar USA 2024 page for details of races in the USA in 2024!

Also, our European events calendar for 2024 is HERE.