The ÖTILLÖ Merit Races: the races that open the door to the Swimrun World Championship

Swimrun—what is it again? 🌊

Before talking about Merit Races, here’s a quick refresher for those who are just arriving. Swimrun was born from a bet 🤝. In 2002, four Swedish friends a little too inspired by their night in a bar on the island of Utö decide to connect the Stockholm archipelago by swimming and on foot, from Utö to Sandhamn, without outside assistance, in a team of two 👯‍♀️. Both teams finish, after about 26 hours of effort 🥵. In 2006, Michael Lemmel and Mats Skott turn that crazy challenge into an official race: ÖTILLÖ, which literally means "island to island" in Swedish 🇸🇪. Today, it’s the Swimrun World Championship, recognized as one of the most demanding endurance events on the planet ☝️.

The ÖTILLÖ circuit isn’t limited to the World Championship 🤩. There is a series of races labeled ÖTILLÖ Merit Races, spread all over the globe, allowing swimrunners to rack up points in the official ÖTILLÖ ranking and, ultimately, secure an invitation to the Holy Grail: the Swimrun World Championship 💥. Concretely, Merit Races are independent events, organized by local groups, but approved and integrated by ÖTILLÖ into its qualification ecosystem ✅. It’s a bit like the UTMB Index races in trail running: you build your legitimacy race after race, point after point, until you’ve earned your spot on the biggest stage 🎬.

Currently, the Merit Races calendar includes 8 events across 4 countries: France 🇫🇷, Portugal 🇵🇹, Sweden 🇸🇪 and the United Kingdom 🇬🇧. And with 4 races in mainland France, France stands out as one of the circuit’s favorite playgrounds 🔄.

How does the points system work? ⏱️

Each athlete accumulates points in their own name, from January 1 to December 31 📆. Points are awarded to the top 30 in each category (Men, Women, Mixed, and Solo since the 2024 season) only in long-distance events 🤪. The scale is clear: in an ÖTILLÖ World Series (the circuit’s premium races), the winning team or solo takes 60 points, decreasing by 2 points per position ⬇️. In an ÖTILLÖ Merit Race, the maximum is 30 points, with 1 point less per position ⬆️. So a win in a Merit Race is worth half the points of a World Series, but Merit Races are far more numerous and much more accessible 🤗.

What changes everything is the principle of individual points 🧍‍♀️. Before, changing partners mid-season meant starting from scratch 😩. Now, you can race with whoever you want, keep your points, and choose your qualification partner at the end of the season 🕺. A real revolution in planning a swimrun year 😮‍💨. At the start of the following year, between January 1 and 25, each candidate athlete chooses a partner, and both must have points in the ranking. The two members’ individual scores are added together to create the team ranking 📋. Invitations drop on the first Thursday of February, nicknamed by the community "Swimrun Christmas" 🎄.

8 races, 4 countries 🗓️

The season opens in May with the Swimrun Côte Sud Landes, followed by the Tâmega Swimrun in Portugal. Next up is the Swimrunman Gorges du Verdon, before the Swimrun Côte Vermeille. The Swimrun Gower in the United Kingdom takes place in June, then the season resumes after the summer with the Västerås Swimrun in Sweden in August 🌞. The Swimrunman Grands Lacs de Laffrey slots in during August, before closing with the Swimrun Coniston in the United Kingdom in September 🎒.

Whichever race you choose, the ÖTILLÖ label is a guarantee of organizational quality, race experience, and a carefully curated natural setting 🍃. You can take part to discover swimrun in competition, to test your legs and arms over a demanding format, or simply to share something unique with a partner ❤️. Most participants aren’t racing for the ranking—they’re racing for the experience 😍. And if, as a bonus, you finish in the Top 30 and start scraping together points... who knows where it could take you 😏. The ÖTILLÖ Merit Races are much more than a qualification circuit 😇. They’re a passport to the most beautiful swimrun venues in the world 🌍.

Whether you’re aiming for the World Championship or looking to live an extraordinary two-person adventure, the Merit Races have a place for you on the start line 🏁.