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 just discovering it. Swimrun was born from a bet 🤝. In 2002, four Swedish friends, a little too inspired by their evening 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 teams of two 👯‍♀️. They both finish after about 26 hours of effort 🥵. In 2006, Michael Lemmel and Mats Skott turn this crazy challenge into an official race: ÖTILLÖ, which literally means "island to island" in Swedish 🇸🇪. Today, it is the Swimrun World Championship, recognized among 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, that allow 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 organizations, 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 earn your place 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 1 January to 31 December 📆. Points are awarded to the top 30 in each category (Men, Women, Mixed, and Solo since the 2024 season) only on long-distance events 🤪. The scale is clear: at an ÖTILLÖ World Series (the circuit’s premium races), the winning team or solo earns 60 points, decreasing by 2 points per position ⬇️. At an ÖTILLÖ Merit Race, the maximum is 30 points, with 1 point less per position ⬆️. A win at a Merit Race therefore brings 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 race with whoever you want, you keep your points, and you choose your qualification partner at the end of the season 🕺. A real revolution in organizing a swimrun year 😮‍💨. At the start of the following year, between 1 and 25 January, each candidate athlete chooses a partner, and both must have ranking points. The individual scores of the two members add up 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 kicks off in May with the Swimrun Côte Sud Landes, followed by Tâmega Swimrun in Portugal. Next comes Swimrunman Gorges du Verdon, before Swimrun Côte Vermeille. Swimrun Gower in the United Kingdom takes place in June, then the season resumes after summer with Västerås Swimrun in Sweden in August 🌞. Swimrunman Grands Lacs de Laffrey fits in in August, before closing with Swimrun Coniston in the United Kingdom in September 🎒.

Whatever 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 in 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 points... who knows where it could take you 😏. ÖTILLÖ Merit Races are much more than a qualification circuit 😇. They’re a passport to the most beautiful swimrun playgrounds 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 spot for you on the start line 🏁.