Oh Hvar how beautiful you are
The inaugural ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Hvar took place in a beautiful and challenging setting in Croatia yesterday and the 2016 ÖTILLO@ World Champions Lelle Moberg and Daniel Hansson of team Swedish Armed Forces took the overall win and the men's division title in 5:55:08. Fellow Swedes Annika Ericsson and Stefano Prestinoni of Team Swimshop.se captured the mixed division category in 6:10:57 and Swiss Diane Sadik and Swede Charlotte Eriksson Team Swimrunshop.com took the female division in 7:37:41. The stunning course however was so challenging that many teams did not finish. In fact of the 100 starting teams only 53 managed to complete the challenge.
Results ÖTILLÖ Swimrun Hvar
Hvar, Croatia – April 2, 2017
Men
1. Lelle Moberg and Daniel Hansson (SWE) / Swedish Armed Forces / 5:55:08
2. Martin Flinta (SWE) and Adriel Young (AUS) / Team Thule / 6:01:13
3. Pontus Lindberg and George Bjälkemo (SWE) / Team Garmin / 6:03:05
Mixed
1. Annika Ericsson (SWE) and Stefano Prestinoni (SWE) / Team Swimshop.se / 6:10:57
2. Jasmina Glad Schreven (FIN) and Thomas Schreven (NED) / Say no! to Doping / 6:49:14
3. Sabrina Maurette and Ludovic Maillard (FRA) / Team Issy Absolu / 7:00:03
Women
1. Diane Sadik (SUI) and Charlotte Eriksson (SWE) / Team Swimrunshop.com / 7:37:41
2. Annika Åström (SWE) and Lovisa Jönsson (SWE) / Powerwoman / 8:08:45
3. Sanna Westman (SWE) and Anna Mattsson (SWE) / Tuffa brudar i neoprenförpackning / 8:42:15
And here now is a beautiful gallery by the talented Jakob Edholm.
Early in the race with the teams still close together Boris Bogdan (SUI) and Elia Rossini (ITA) launch into the water for another swim but this team ended up not finishing.
Teams of two from all over the world swim past the downtown of Hvar and the Hvar castle looming above.
Fast triathletes Pontus Lindberg (SWE) and George Bjälkemo (SWE) of Team Garmin are very experienced athletes and they finished 3rd overall at the end.
The French mixed team of Caroline Dewaele and Nicolas Dewaele run along the coast near Hvar on fairly tricky terrain.
The setting for this race is simply beautiful, but the athletes had to focus on the task at hand.
The winning mixed team of Annika Ericsson (SWE) and Stefano Prestinoni (SWE) starts another swim still hotly pursued by eventual second placed mixed team of Jasmina Glad Schreven (FIN) and Thomas Schreven (NED) but in the end the gap was significant.
Mattias Jonsson (SWE) and Emil Carlsson (SWE) cross this section of water on the way to 11th place in the male division.
With the eyes already focused on the path ahead Swedes Henrik Wahlberg and Simon Börjesson of Team Löplabbet on the way to a finish time of 6:28:16 and 7th place in the male division.
Running happily together the French mixed team of Sabrina Maurette and Ludovic Maillard (FRA) grabbed third place in 7:00:03.
Swedes Henrik Roström and Axel Pettersson enjoy a stunning view as they run along this ridge on the way to 20th place.
Diane Sadik (SUI) and Charlotte Eriksson (SWE) of Team Swimrunshop.com dominated the female division with great speed and smooth transitions.
The winning Swedish Armed Forces team of Lelle Moberg & Daniel Hansson (SWE) crushed the course in 5:55:08, but it was not easy for them. They were challenged all day by several other teams.
A beautiful underwater study of Pontus Lindberg (SWE) and George Bjälkemo (SWE) of Team Garmin in action during the race.
Stunning and beautiful indeed.
Run, swim, run. There was plenty of running and swimming to do in this event.
Some of the swim sections were challenging and beautiful.
Fighting choppy waters and other teams close by.
Running through a forest but at this time of the day not much shade is offered.
Annika Åström (SWE) and Lovisa Jönsson (SWE) of Team Powerwoman grabbed second place in the female division in 8:08:45.
Folks walking in town get some additional entertainment and action on this day. Wetsuit clad runners with paddles, pull buoys and sometimes even tethered.
