I’m really wanting to do the Michigan race next year - did anyone do it this last year that can provide any feedback? Solo or team?

For anyone considering the Austin, TX event - Lars sent me the following info on the event as they are still finalizing the courses:

We are still working on the final details of the course so it is not finalized in a way to have a course map created yet.
However I will tell you the Long Course will be a total of 30k swimming & running. The Short Course will be a total of 15k swimming & running. We strive to have 15% of the total distance as swims.

We took a stab at putting this one on after announcing it quite late in the year last year. Field size was small in year one but there was no doubt in our minds this venue was special.

Les Cheneaux Islands are 20-30 minutes drive north of the Mackinaw Bridge in the Upper Peninsula. Swims take place in Lake Huron. The community of Cedarville is second to none as hosts. There were 30+ boats out along the course providing water safety support. Incredible.

Water was quite cold this year with the first few swims in the low/mid 50's, warming up to low 60's near the end. We've moved the race date up three weeks so the water should be a bit warmer.

Here is the highlighted photo gallery and here is the to give an idea on the sites and sounds.

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Lars Finanger
Odyssey SwimRun

Finished 2nd in the Solo long course last September. Great location, scenery and volunteers. 7k of swimming in cold fresh water (neoprene cap + arms added to a Head Rough shorty wetsuit) and 20k of running (mostly flat, mix of road, gravel and Trail).

We had calm waters, but this is Great lakes, went kayaking in the same location two weeks later and encountered 1-2ft waves on some of the segments we swam.

Will be back in 2020, looking at doing a second one like Austin.

Entered for the Austin race, long course solo, as the venue is less than 30 min from my home. Might try to also get to the Casco Bay race, but not sure I can commit to it just yet.

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I can’t imagine there is a better venue for SwimRun in the US than Casco Bay. It fits the profile of the ancestral home of SwimRun in Sweden: brisk water, rocky shorelines, even swim / run balance, numerous islands / crossings, etc.

Also consider that Portland, ME in August is one of the best little cities in America to visit. Great restaurants, breweries, other outdoor destinations, etc.

A great way to leverage your IM fitness without a lot of extra training. Racing with a partner is a lot more fun.

As far as our Odyssey swimruns go, each course highlights a different skill set:

Casco Bay Islands, Maine: best course of the all-arounder. tough swims in ocean. can be cold water (as low as mid 50's in a few sections, typically low 60's in most areas). huge variety during the run legs. a few longer runs.

Les Cheneaux Islands, Michigan: swimmers course. Lake Huron can be quite tough, and also cold. there is only one short swim on this course. otherwise, all swims are 600-1200 in length.

Orcas Island, Washington: trail runners paradise. a few tough swims, especially on the back half of the course, but the run is all about your ability to manage your effort on some persistent hilly terrain!

Austin, Texas: this course will be a mixture but the swims will be shorter in length than our other races. the running will be a mix of undulating trails in Pace Bend Park and also some road running (also quite hilly).

Swimrun can be super simplistic with minimal equipment needed outside of a wetsuit, goggles, trail shoes, and pull buoy/paddles if desired. Or you can get as creative with the equipment as you'd like and get really specific on the strategy depending on the course. So much variety.

Hi Lars,
This looks amazing. Did many people race solo? Unless I can find a partner I am likely to race solo but in the video it looked like mostly teams.
Thanks, John

The Solo category is growing fast. It's a great way to get into the sport if you don't know of anyone to team up with but still want to experience it. What we're seeing is lots of Solo category racers end up chit-chatting with others in that category around the beer tent after the race and team up the following year. We love that cause the team aspect is one of the things that makes swimrun unique from other endurance endeavors.

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Lars Finanger
Odyssey SwimRun

Thank you very much. I am really considering putting this on my 2020 race plans (I missed the early-in registration). I know nothing about doing a race like this so I have a lot of work to do to figure things out - equipment, training, etc.
The drive from Ohio is doable.
Thanks, John

Is there going to be a Boston Harbor race again next year?

Hi Lars,
I signed up for the Solo. May I connect with you offline for some advice on gear and training?
This is my first SwimRun event.
Thank you, John

My swinrun partner and I (Low Tide Boyz) will be doing both the Orcas Island and Austin Odyssey races. Odyssey puts on a great race and the community is amazing.

absolutely! email is: swimrunusa@gmail.com

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Lars Finanger
Odyssey SwimRun

Hi Lars,
Any updates on if the Michigan race will be a go? Hoping it can be!
Thanks, John