The Golden Bay will be a hive of activity this weekend as hundreds of athletes will take part in the Ottilo Swimrun.
2021 has been a year still under the grip of the Pandemic.
ÖTILLÖ did not start the season until mid- June and have since then put on four World Series race weekends and one World Championship weekend.
ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Malta will be the fifth and last World Series weekend of the year. The race weekend concludes the 16th year of ÖTILLÖ Swimrun races.
“Throughout the season we have done what we can to adjust to the local regulations to be able to put on events.
The 2021 season has for sure been a COVID-19 season with some light on the horizon. Hopefully, 2022 will bring something different,” said Mats Skott, co-founder of ÖTILLÖ Swimrun.
In November 2019 the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series finished the season on Malta with more than 600 racers.
After a lost year ÖTILLÖ will be back on November 6 and 7 to finish the season again.
“Malta is perfectly suited for Swimrun. Our coastal trail runs are technical and spectacular and our sea is beautiful and swimmable all year round.
Further to this having an ÖTILLÖ World Series event in Malta is an excellent opportunity to promote our islands with the ever-growing Swimrun community worldwide,” said Jonathan Shaw, local coordinator for ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Malta.
This second edition of the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series finals on Malta will be modified compared to 2019 to fit the local COVID-19 regulations. However, the races will celebrate outdoor sports and the beauty of the location.
Throughout history, the beautiful island of Malta has set the stage for many cultures. After 2019 it has become a dream location for Swimrunners.
For this last race weekend of the year we see several of the best teams in the world signed up together with Swimrun enthusiasts from near and far. This is the most prestigious Swimrun race in Malta.
Australia’s Adriel Young, current men’s world champion will be teaming up with French Powerhouse, Hugo Tormento.
Sweden’s Victor Dahl, current mixed world champion will team up with Frenchman Alexis Charrier who was part of the runner-up team in the World Championship in the mixed category.
In the women’s category we will see many top women with Swedish duo Ulrika Eriksson and Marika Wagner as favourites. They won the World Series race in Engadin in July.
In the mixed category the American team of Gregory Dierksen and Bronwen Price-Dierksen who won everything on the US Swimrun circuit be the main favourites as they bid for direct qualification to the 2022 World Championship.
On Saturday, ÖTILLÖ will host several shorter races such as Experience and Sprint to make the sport accessible to more people and to let newcomers experience the beauty of Swimrun on Malta.
The Experience distance is 7.4 km with 3 swim sections totaling 1,200 metres.
The Sprint eludes to the distance and not to the speed. It is a total of 12.8 km with five swim sections totaling 2,500 metres.
On Sunday, ÖTILLÖ will have the world series event which acts as a qualifier to the World Championship and where teams can collect ranking points.
It is the last race of the year and also the finals of the 2021 World Series. The race is a total of 39 km with 14 swim sections totaling 7,450 metres.
All race distances are open for all and can be done in teams of two or as solo racers.
