It’s Sunday 4th September and 220 are in Sadhamm, Stockholm for the 11th ÖtillÖ world championships race briefing. Hosting are Michael Lemmel and Mats Skott, race organisers and they’ve just shown the 120 registered teams of two the map of the course they’ll take on the next day.

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The atmosphere is a weird mix of tension, excitement and apprehension, As Lemmel lists each of the 21 nations racing, there isn’t a single whoop or cheer. “You’re all so quiet!” he laughs. “Is there anyone in here?!” At that the tension breaks and there’s laughter… But soon the focus turns back to the challenge ahead.

The next day, each of the 240 athletes will traverse 75km of the Stockholm archipelago, covering a total of 26 islands. Within that they’ll encounter ankle-wrenching trails, slippery rocks, cold waters and seemingly endless swims with strong tides and currents.

Swimrun is fast growing in popularity and this is the original and biggest, baddest swimrun of all. Started as a crazy bet, there are now only 120 race spots available, but over 600 teams on the wait list.

GB on the start line

Qualified this year are several GB teams including Jenny Rice and Claire Wilson, team Girls Wot Can, who qualified by coming third in the inaugural ÖtillÖ Swimrun Isles of Scilly.

“We only started swimrun last year, we were fellrunning, swimming, adventure racing and training in the Lakes, so it was a good fit,” they tell us. “So we raced Breca Buttermere and then Scilly and qualified…. We want to beat Pippa Middleton’s time from last year, that’s our goal!”

One of the fast, flat section of this year’s race. Image: Jakob Edholm

There are some famous faces from the world of tri here as well, most notably Kona champ Faris Al-Sultan. Thanks to a couple of last-minute illnesses and injuries within teams though, he’s racing with a Swedish partner, Peter Oom, and the pair only meet on the ferry the day before the race!

Some big guns of swimrun are back to defend their titles as well, with five of the six 2015 world champs here, racing in various teams. Back together are Staffan Björklund and Marika Wagner, last year’s winning mixed team; plus female team champs Annika Ericsson and Maja Tesch are racing in different teams, while reigning men’s champs Oscar Olsson and Paul Krochak (Team Head Swimming) are back to hope to win again. Also lining up are Lelle Moberg and Daniel Hansson (Swedish Armed Forces), holders of the overall course record of 08hrs 16mins.

Training in Wales

Race morning dawns and it’s breezy but relatively warm at 4:30am. There’s much talk of water temperatures, with about 13 degrees expected – and a few nervous faces as athletes collect the generous breakfast packs issued to each athlete.

220 track down GB team Five Frogs, which includes Matt Evans from Activity Wales, organisers of events including the Long Course Weekend. This is his first swimrun with partner fellow welshman Nicky Rees and the pair are looking pretty pumped at the start line. “We’ve got breakfast down and we’re ready to go! We just want to get the first islands under our belt,” they say.

“It’s an amazing atmosphere, everyone really looks after each other. We trained in Wales, using the terrain there that we think is perfect for this. Swimrun has to springboard – it takes the expensive elements of tri, the bike, out of the mix and lets you really explore nature.”

Daybreak start

The race starts this year at 6am sharp (although exact time is dependent on a ferry crossing through) and the athletes are soon out of sight – following a quad bike 1.2km through beautiful pine forests to the first swim.

ÖtillÖ swims are often long, with technicals exits. Image: Jakob Edholm

This first swim is the longest at 1.7km, but already a cracking pace is being set. Leading is Team Head Swimming, while the Swedish Armed Forces team are also looking strong, but following a slightly different line to the pack (whether by design or current, we’re not sure). There are also a large number of teams together in a line at the front – we count 22 – which is unusual towards the end of the first swim and reflects the strength of this year’s competition.

Athletes sight off either buoys, flags or – in this case – a flashing beacon on the far island. The lead teams are soon hauling themselves out onto the rocks and away, a real skill in slippery, treacherous conditions. Watching them across the next couple of islands a real mix of kit is evident too – we see more flippers than in previous years (apparently many stronger competitors are also experienced divers) as well as the usual mix of paddles, pull buoys and home-made buoyancy aids.

Setting the pace

220 are following the race by boat and as the middle part of the course is tricky to access, we loop around the second section to catch up with the action again at Time 8 and Energy Station 4, which falls 29km into the course. Here, a crowd are waiting to cheer and fuel for the athletes includes sandwiches, warm soup and bratwurst, along with gels and drinks.

It’s evident a blistering pace is being set this year as the leading men’s teams, Team Head Swimming and Swedish Armed Forces charge through neck-and-neck at a time of just 03:16 – way under the predicted fastest time of 03:24.

Faris Al-Sultan and Peter Oom are through in eighth place just 9mins later, while USA team Valhalla Racing pass through soon after and cause cheers and laughter by shouting “where’s the party guys? Let’s hear some noise!”

In the mixed race it’s Thule Adventure Team through first in 03:33 and in the women’s race the two teams including reigning world champions are with us in first and second places – team Addnature including Annika Ericsson racing with Kristin Larsson in 03:46 and team Head Swimming with Maja Tesch racing with Bibben Nordblom in 03:53.

Just keep swimming

From Time 8, the course takes athletes through a couple of longer runs of 3.4km and 3.6km as well as some shorter runs and several three short swims of between 60m and 210m. We’re back on the press boat and heading to Time 10 though, to see competitors take on the second-longest swim, the infamous ‘pig swim’.

The leading mixed team on one of the many swim exits. Image: Nadja Odenhage

At 1.4km this doesn’t seem too long, but as with so many elements of ÖtillÖ the map and times alone can be deceptive. We arrive at 11am, after the very fastest lead times are gone and now competitors are noticeably slower in transition before going into this swim, edging their way down the steep rocks before entering the water and taking time to make sure kit is correctly adjusted and that they have a plan to work with the currents.

Even so though, most swimmers find themselves pushed far left midway across and as we follow them on the boat it becomes noticeably choppy at the mid point. For the swimrunners, it must feel like the longest 1.4km in the world.

Then keep running

Time check point 10 comes just after the ‘pig swim’ and at this point at the front of the race, Swedish Armed Forces and Team Head Swimming are still on each other’s feet, with only seconds to separate them. In the women’s race Team Addnature have extended their lead to 11mins, while Thule Adventure Team lead by 2mins in the mixed race.

The next stage of the course is shorter runs and swims again, taking in some beautiful trails and isolated islands, some of which are inhabited by only a couple of families.

Athletes must stay 10m apart, so often swim and run tethered. Image: Jakob Edholm

Long swims done though, there’s only one thing on athletes’ minds now – the 9.7km run from the top to the bottom end of the island of Orno. The thought of doing what is essentially a half-marathon after, for the slower athletes, already having been working hard for over 9 hours must be daunting. The fastest teams reach end of this section and check time point 13 in just 06:23:34.

We meet them at time point 16, by which point a small gap is appearing between the two lead teams.

Smashing records

It’s apparent now that we’re on for some fierce racing to the end. Swedish Armed Forces are out of the water and powering up the rocks and through this point of the course in 07:19:44, while Team Head Swimming are a few minutes behind in 07:23:06. The estimated arrival time here was 07:46 based on last year’s times, so they’re already smashing course records.

The last few islands are a section of the course that also makes up the new ÖtillÖ Final 15 course (see Editor Helen Webster’s account of racing this here) and take the teams through magical woods, across rocky terrains and through a last series of short swims from 100 to 350m.

The atmosphere on the finish line is electric. The final part of the ÖtillÖ course takes athletes round the finishing island of Utö, with the final part a run up the hill to the finish line. From the cheer that goes up from the crowds waiting it’s obvious the winning team are coming in and coming in fast – and with huge roars of celebration team Swedish Armed Forces cross the line in a new world record time of 07:59:04 – just sneaking under eight hours!

New course record holders Team Swedish Armed Forces. Image: Nadja Odenhage

That isn’t the only smashed record either – in the mixed class Team Thule Adventure Team set a new world record time of 08:49:58. Meanwhile in the women’s race, Annika Ericsson and Kristin Larsson of Team Addnature took a new world record, finishing in 09:32:03.

As we publish this article amidst finish line celebrations and athletes drinking bottles of the unique ÖtillÖ beer (this race really does have it all!), however, there are still many teams on the course – with the last finishers expected in an eye-watering 14 hours.

Having seen the course (and raced part of it in the Final 15), it’s fair they have 220 Triathlon’s upmost respect. This is a race that is on a serious multisport pedestal, but with the growth of swimrun many more triathletes will take a try at qualifying. Although whether this year’s amazing records can be ever beaten, remains to be seen…

For a full list of finishers and times visit www.otilloswimrun.com.

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To find out more about swimrun, see our beginners’ guide to swimrun here and find out more about the gear needed here.

Montreal debuted on the 2016 World Cup schedule earlier this month with great success as thousands of spectators lined the streets to cheer on triathletes just ahead of the Olympic Games.

“Montreal proved to be an impressive host of the World Cup this year, with an incredible turnout for a new race that met all of our standards for a world class event,” said ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado. “I’m pleased to welcome Montreal to the WTS, which completes our calendar for the coming season.”

It is one of nine cities to host a WTS race across four continents. Rotterdam, which this year organised the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships, will also debut on the WTS in 2017.

Rotterdam will next year welcome thousands of age group athletes, along with junior, U23, paratriathlon & elite athletes to vie for world championship titles at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final.

2017 ITU World Triathlon Series calendar:

• Abu Dhabi, UAE – March 3-4

• Gold Coast, Australia – April 8-9

• Yokohama, Japan – May 13-14

• Leeds, England – June 10-11

• Hamburg, Germany – July 15-16

• Edmonton, Canada – July 28-30

• Montreal, Canada – August 5-6

• Stockholm, Sweden – August 26-27

• Rotterdam, Netherlands – September 14-17

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Abu Dhabi, Gold Coast, Hamburg and Edmonton will be contested over a sprint distance course, while the remaining WTS races will be standard distance.

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Strathclyde Park has been awarded the honour of staging the British Sprint Distance Triathlon Championships on 27 May, followed by the British Middle Distance Triathlon Championships on 9 September at Rutland Water’s picturesque Vitruvian Triathlon.

 The 2017 Triathlon England National Championship calendar kicks-off with the National Sprint Distance Triathlon Championships on 4 June 2017, hosted for the first time at Thorpe Park Sprint Triathlon. The following weekend (10-11 June) will see the National Aquathlon Championships return to the ITU World Triathlon Series in Leeds, before Ripon Triathlon hosts the National Standard Distance Triathlon Championships on 1 July. Two weeks later, on 23 July, The National Middle Distance Triathlon Championships will take place at Owler Tri in Ashford, Kent.

The National Duathlon Championships at  Oulton Park Autumn Duathlon will take place on 1 October, while finally, the Triathlon Club Relay Championships, showcasing the nation’s top clubs, will take place within the Holme Pierrepont Triathlon Relays, with the date to be confirmed.

Duncan Hough, Director of Events, Rules and Technical at Triathlon England commented: “It’s great to welcome some new events to the calendar to host a number of 2017 Triathlon England – National Championships. Following on from a hugely successful year for the sport, we’re pleased to offer members the chance to race across a range of distances and locations throughout England.

“2017 will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase athletes of all ability; bringing together everyone from triathlon novices to those vying for National titles to enjoy the experience and achieve their own sporting goals.”

In 2016, the amount of Great Britain Age-Group Team entries to ITU World Championships and ETU European Championships grew by 15% from the previous year, showing the ever-growing popularity of representing your nation within triathlon. This is expected to continue in 2017, where another group of high-quality events for aspirant team members are on offer in order earn the right to wear the Great Britain Age-Group Team tri suit.

The calendar has qualification events for the following major championships:

2017 ITU Sprint and Standard Distance Triathlon World Championships
2018 ETU Sprint and Standard Distance Triathlon European Championships
2017 ITU Sprint and Standard Distance Duathlon World Championships
2018 ETU Sprint and Standard Distance Duathlon European Championships

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 To find out more about the qualification process for the 2017 Great Britain Age-Group Teams, British Triathlon Age-Group Championships and Triathlon England – National Championships, please visit here on the British Triathlon website.

Making Para-sport history will be: 

THE GB MEN 

PT1

Joe Townsnend

Phil Hogg 

PT2

Ryan Taylor

Andy Lewis 

PT4

David Hill

George Peasgood 

THE GB WOMEN

PT4

Lauren Steadman

Faye McClelland

Clare Cunningham 

PT5

Alison Patrick

Melissa Reid 

Guide: Hazel Smith

Guide: Nicole Walters

In what will be her third Paralympics representing GBR, Lauren Steadman commented: “I feel honoured to be flying the British colours! Paratriathlon makes its debut at the Rio Paralympics and I’m excited to experience the games in a new sport alongside my teammates. We are a strong team and it will be great to get out there and bring home that medal that I’ve trained so relentlessly for!” 

PT2 hopeful Andy Lewis said:

“I’m absolutely honoured to represent ParalympicsGB in Rio. I’ve only been doing triathlon for two years and started quite late, but I’ve put absolutely everything into it and given it my all and the hard work has paid off now I’ve been selected. 

“To be there and be part of history as triathlon makes its debut at the Games is just amazing. The sport is growing and growing and hopefully Rio will help encourage more people to get involved in triathlon.”

Penny Briscoe, chef de mission for ParalympicsGB, said:

“Paratriathlon is a new sport for Rio 2016 and I think it will be thoroughly embraced by the crowds out in Rio: with such an iconic location at Copacabana and a combination of water sport and outdoor competition, I think this is going to be a fan favourite with the Brazilians!”

Jonathon Riall, team leader and head coach for paratriathlon, said:

“The last few years have been a race to qualify slots and to ensure that we are ready to take on anything that the rest of the world throws at us in competition. Standards are rising quickly in this sport because it is so new.

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“I believe we have selected the best possible British team, which has the potential to win medals and make it’s mark as paratriathlon debuts at the Paralympic Games. I am looking forward to seeing them take to the biggest stage in disability sport.” 

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For athlete profiles, an exclusive feature with PT4 gold hopeful Steadman plus Paralympic course information, check out the next issue of 220, on sale 19 July. 

>>> Medal events confirmed for paratriathlon’s Olympic debut

Paratriathletes compete over three disciplines, in five classification groups (PT1 – PT5). Although the disciplines are the same for the Olympic athlete, the training principles aren’t directly transferrable.

The short history of the sport means that effective training principles for the paratriathlete are still being developed, and there’s very little applicable published data in the area.

The British Triathlon Federation (BTF) and their paratriathlon performance manager Jonathan Riall decided that the best way to develop effective training principles for paratriathletes would be to carry out a scientific study of the development/elite squad of athletes, while documenting existing knowledge.

The BTF – with funding from the Peter Harrison Foundation – granted a physiological support project at Loughborough University (2014-2015) for the paratriathlon performance athletes. 

The team at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport consists of Katy Griggs has carefully planned a programme of testing that will support the athletes and coaches during the build up to Rio 2016.

The main purpose is to give athletes a physiological advantage over their competitors, by ensuring that they’re in the best shape for Rio with an effective training strategy.

The project involves assessing the squad members over a range of test protocols at specific points in their training cycle. As noted before, paratriathlon sports training knowledge is still developing and some of the ‘empirical laws’ of training may need to be challenged.

This has therefore provided staff within the PHC a valuable opportunity to collect data of this nature. Alongside the longitudinal physiological profiles of paratriathletes, three main applied research topics have been developed:

1. Understanding the economy of running/pushing following the transition of the cycle discipline;
2. Monitoring the immune function in paratriathletes across a season;
3. Cooling and acclimatisation strategies for paratriathletes.

Many paratriathletes will display a unique physiological response during exercise depending upon their physical impairment. For example, for athletes in the PT1 class (wheelchair athletes), the considerably smaller amount of muscle mass used and varying trunk stability must be taken into account. These athletes will also have impaired thermoregulatory capacity compared with their able-bodied counterparts. 

This is most likely caused by impairment to the nervous system which disrupts the control of skin blood flow. Moreover, athletes with cerebral palsy will display impaired movement patterns during fatigue and may also find exercise in the heat detrimental to performance. Research is still ongoing for the second and third topics highlighted above, but further work is warranted.

It is envisaged that the applied research findings, together with the testing and monitoring of the training programmes, will enable the PHC team to educate the athletes and their coaches to understand the physiological background of training principles and preparation strategies. In turn this will help with the development of training programmes that are specific to the sport as well as to the individual concerned.

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(Images: Andrew Weekes)

It’s a fairly non-technical swim, with only one full 180° turn round three buoys, so will favour weaker swimmers. But if the water’s choppy, this will play more into the stronger swimmers’ hands. Having a good sighting reference on the way back into the beach will be key.

 
Transition 1

Out of the water into T1 is quick and sharp. If bunches form on the swim, this will be a key time to try and get ahead of others leading into the non-drafting bike element. Therefore stronger runners could find this advantageous.

The Bike Start

Like the Olympic course, the bike course features a 180° turn 100-200m after transition. Getting feet in shoes quickly will allow athletes to get the power on the road sooner; therefore maximising aerodynamics. The two long straights (per lap) are well over 1km long, so being able to maintain a good TT position at speed is key to a fast bike time. 

 
The Bike

The three dead turns at the north end of the course are quite wide and bike handling to maintain speed through them may well be key to the overall outcome of the race. British athletes such as Alison Patrick with Hazel Smith as her guide (PT5), Andy Lewis (PT2) and Joe Townsend (PT1) will enjoy these turns as their handling skills are among the best of their respective categories. 

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The Run

The run incorporates two turns per lap. With the south turn being wide and sweeping it will be a quick course, but for the athletes racing later in the day the main focus will be trying to run in the shade. Also, if it’s windy, running on competitors’ shoulders will provide great cover for the 800m stretches.

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Related

Paratriathlon: the ultimate guide
GB paratriathlon squad: the women
GB paratriathlon squad: the men

“I came onto the last lap of the run and I had [Moroccan] Mohamad Lahna in front of me,” Lewis told 220 at the line. “So I went past him and then he sat behind me. I could just hear his blade tapping the floor and I just thought I’ve got to get away from this guy. I look up and see Ferrarin had a penalty and that was my motivation to go.” 

The Paralympic win for Lewis tops off a phenomenal year for the 33-year-old, who also took the European and world titles.

“Coming into this race today I had massive doubts about whether I could get on that podium. I just didn’t feel it while we were in [the holding camp] Belo. I just wanted to race, from the moment we arrived here, and to be told I had to hold in a camp, mentally it was tough. But coming here, and getting a medal is just incredible.”

Fellow PT2er and teammate Ryan Taylor finished sixth out of the 10-strong category, and was upbeat at the finish line despite trailing the 750m swim by 4:22secs on the then leader Mark Barr (USA): “If my swim was much better I’d have been closer [to the leaders]. I know I’ve got the edge on them on the bike and run but it’s just the swim I was lacking.”

As for his fellow teammate and now Paralympic gold medallist: “Andy’s just awesome, I couldn’t be more pleased for him. This guy is so supportive of me, and has helped push me along. He just deserves this so much.”

Speaking to Lewis’s coach Steve Casson after the medal ceremony he commented: “It was an absolutely fantastic delivery by Andy today. He has ups and downs on the lead-in to a race like this but between us we know he’s going to put it together on the day, and that’s absolute what he did. He didn’t panic, he knew some of the stronger athletes would come past him on the bike, and he just had to stick to his plan and finish off with a great run, which he’s always capable of doing. We had a few choice words while he was out on the course but that’s what he asked me to do! It gets him fired up.”

Peasgood swims good

The PT4 category was actually the first off the pontoon, at 10am local time, 3mins ahead of PT2. And it was GB’s George Peasgood who took the race to the field, exiting in 9:41mins, 33secs ahead of the next athlete. 

“I managed to get a bit more away on the swim than expected,” admitted Peasgood at the line. “I was really surprised that I was out on my own. Coming out was absolutely insane, and I took it all in and enjoyed the moment.”

Peasgood held the lead until the third lap of the bike leg, when race favourite and reining world and European champion Martin Schulz overtook the 19-year-old Brit for first… which he would never relinquish, becoming the first Paralympic paratriathlon medallist. 

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On his weakest discipline, the run, Peasgood would drop to seventh. 

“I knew Martin Schulz was going to come past at some point, but I needed to focus on myself and not get caught up in the situation going onto the run. The run was hard as it got hotter and hotter, but I enjoyed it.

“Last year [at the Test Event] I came sixth with a couple of people missing, and I wanted to come as close as possible today.”

Teammate David Hill finished 10th: “It was just incredible to cross that finish line, to be honest with you. It’s been an incredible journey to get here. This time last year it was looking quite doubtful that I’d be able to compete here. So right now I’m just feeling extremely grateful and incredibly thankful for all the support I’ve received from British Triathlon and friends and family from back home. Very tough conditions today but made a lot easier by all the crowds.”

Double Dutch

Starting at 11:20am, the final race of the day saw the wheelchair category take to the Copacabana course. While Joe Townsend and Phil Hogg both had stellar races to finish sixth and eighth, respectively, the day belonged to Team Netherlands, as Jetze Plat led from the start to finish with a whopping 1:59min margin over teammate Geert Schipper. 

Yet even if Hogg had finished last, nothing could have defused his enthusiasm for the race, cheering and waving to crowd down the finish chute as if he’d just won. 

“I’m feeling absolutely awesome,” he beamed at the finish. “I actually feel like a Paralympian now, I’ve not felt like that until crossing that line. Talking to you now, I’m getting goose bumps and this is something that will stay with me forever. Four years’ worth of training, that was my time to shine and say thank you to everyone who’s believed in me.”

As for the race itself: “I had a solid race, eighth is not the best in the world. But you know what I can put my hand on my heart and say I did everything to plan, from the days leading up to the race to the crossing the line. My processes were right and I felt absolutely confident throughout the race.”

Unfortunately Townsend was taken away at the finish line due to severe heat exhaustion, but was declared fit and well soon after. 

For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and tomorrow’s women’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.

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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce

Over the ensuing 22km bike leg, Steadman took the lead but by the slimmest of margins, Norman refusing to let the multiple world PT4 champ get away. 

Leaving T2, Steadman automatically built up a 10sec gap as lower-leg amputee had to spend longer with the changeover. But within the first 1km of the 5km run along the Copacabana seafront, Norman had overtaken the Brit, never relinquishing her lead to the tape and becoming the first PT4 Paralympic paratriathlon gold medallist. 

Fellow Brits Faye McClelland and Clare Cunningham crossed the line in fourth and seventh, respectively.

For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.

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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce

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Exiting T1 after the 750m swim, Reid/Walters were lying in second place behind the Dutch duo of Hakker/van Vliet, but ahead of teammates Patrick/Smith in third. But by the end of the first lap of the four-lap 22km bike, Reid/Walters had taken the lead, with the Dutch in-between the two Brit couples. Chasing in fourth was the formidable pairing of Kelly/Jones (AUS), but only 13secs separated the octet.

After the second lap, Reid/Walters were still in the lead, but Patrick/Smith had moved into silver and Kelly/Jones into bronze-medal position. In a game of constant leapfrog, it was the turn of Kelly/Jones at the front of the race after lap three, with Reid/Walters in second, Patrick/Smith in third. 

At the start of the 5km run, the positions remained the same, the Aussie duo extending their lead of the chasing Brits with every step. But by the end of the first lap, Patrick/Smith had slotted into second ahead of Reid/Walters. With over a minute cushion over fourth place, the top three positions remained the same until the very end, as Copacabana welcomed in their last three medallists. 

For full results head here and for a full report and exclusive imagery from today’s and yesterday’s men’s events, check out the November issue of 220, on sale 11 October.

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PIC CREDIT: David Pearce