Swimrun: Open-Water Swimming Meets Trail Running
Swimrun combines open-water swimming and trail running into a single, continuous race — no transitions, no gear changes. Teams of two carry everything from start to finish, swimming in their shoes and running in their wetsuits. Born in the Stockholm archipelago in 2006, it is now the fastest-growing endurance sport worldwide.
Learn the sport
Four pieces to get from curious to ready-to-train.
What is Swimrun?
Rules, distances, team format, and how the sport works — the complete primer for anyone curious about the fastest-growing endurance discipline.
Read the primer →Gear guide
Wetsuits, trail shoes, paddles, pull buoys — what you need and what to skip.
For triathletes
Convert your 70.3 or Ironman fitness to swimrun in one block.
Swimrun vs triathlon
Format, gear, training, cost — the differences that matter.
ÖTILLÖ World Series
The original and most prestigious series — 12 races across Europe and North America in 2026.
My Swimrun Championships
Global qualifier series with 14+ events feeding an annual world championship.
Race distances
Typical ratio across distances: ~80% running, ~20% swimming.
| Category | Total distance | Sections | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 5–10 km | 2–4 swims + 2–4 runs | 45 min – 1.5 h |
| Short | 10–15 km | 4–6 swims + 4–6 runs | 1.5–2.5 h |
| Medium | 15–30 km | 6–12 swims + 6–12 runs | 3–5 h |
| Long | 30–50 km | 12–20 swims + 12–20 runs | 5–8 h |
| Ultra | 50–75+ km | 20+ swims + 20+ runs | 8–12+ h |
Tools & training
Calculators and structured plans to get you to the start line.