January 8, 2020 – ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series announces it is returning to the adrenaline island of Hvar for the fourth year in a row.
No sooner does one high-level international sporting body check out of Suncani Hvar Hotels these days than another one checks in…
One of the biggest changes in the tourism scene on Hvar in the last ten years has been its gradual transformation from a sun, beach and nightlife destination to additionally offering some of the best adrenaline sporting options on the Adriatic coast.
A host of events have been quietly added to the sporting calendar over the last few years, which have now become accepted parts of the Hvar tourism scene. Events such as the Hvar Half Maraton, for example, which has now been taking place for more than a decade along surely the most beautiful half-marathon route in Europe, along the old road from Stari Grad to Hvar Town. The event takes place in August, the same month as Hvar’s most famous and most demanding race, the 16km Faros Marathon swim from Stari Grad to the top of the Stari Grad Channel in open seas, and back. It is a race which regularly attracts Olympic medal winners and World Champions.
In recent years, other international teams and organisations have seen the potential of Hvar as a sporting destination. Having welcomed the mighty McLaren name into the sport of cycling last month, the Bahrain McLaren team headed to Hvar Town for the third year of winter training, finding its challenging roads and terrain the perfect test for its cyclists ahead of yet another gruelling season.
And having said goodbye to the Bahrain McLaren team just before Christmas, the successful partnership of Hvar Tourist Board and Suncani Hvar Hotels is now preparing for a new world-class sporting arrival, as the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series has announced it will be returning to Croatia’s premier island for the fourth year, with the Hvar leg taking place from April 17-19.
What exactly is ÖTILLÖ Swimrun
ÖTILLÖ is the origin of Swimrun, a new endurance sport driven by respect and dedication. Swimrun is about experiencing nature in the purest possible way, with Respect for yourself, for your team partner, for others and for the environment.
The ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series is the premium brand in Swimrun providing sustainable events of the highest quality which challenge your mental and physical endurance. We are dedicated to recreate the ÖTILLÖ experience in unique places around the world and to inspire the growth of a community that shares our values.
About ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Hvar
This race is beautiful but tough. The hills, the long swims and the salt-water will challenge all the teams to put in stellar performances. You will not only have to be strong running in the hills, you will need to be strong in the water to excel in this race.
The course is magnificent and a real challenge. We start and finish in the Main Square of Hvar. We will also pass through the same place once in the race, the course looks like a figure of eight or the symbol of infinity.
A total of 40,4 km with 9 swims of which the longest is 2 950 metres. A total of almost 9 000 metres of swimming. The first part of the course will be a lot of swimming, the second part will be more running.
(Photo credit Hvar Tours)
From the start you will run and swim to the Western-most point of the main island. Where the first cut-off will be. From there every team will get a safety buoy from the organisation to be used for the long swim across to the Paklini Islands. We strongly recommend that you tether up (be attached by rope) for this long swim. Make sure that you know how to swim in open-water and potentially with side-wind, waves and currents. When on the Paklini islands you leave your HEAD safety buoy and continue running and swimming back towards Hvar town.
You go back through the Main Square, here will also be the second cut-off. Then a climb to the two fortresses Spanjola and Napoleon. From Napoleon it is a nice run in the mountains through olive groves, an abandoned village and finally down to the sea again, to the nice village Milna where the third Cut off will be. From Milna you run and swim back to the finish line, which is on the Main Square in Hvar.
This course has everything; fantastic water to swim in. Some rough, some protected. Single track trails and 4×4 tracks through olive groves, lavender and rosemary fields, tough hills up and down. Historical buildings and cultural heritage all around. All with incredible views at all times!
To get more of a flavour of the event, check out the 2019 official video below.
Think you have the strength and the partner to take part, while enjoying at one of its most beautiful times of the year? Register now.
Learn more about the island in the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page guide.
