Well, let’s be honest: The time is long past to begin training for this, but should you be in the James River Park System tomorrow (possibly taking part in Blue Sky Fund’s Hike for Kids) keep your eyes open for this cool event.

An “Otillo”-style event in Europe.

Sponsored by Swim RVA, the first annual Swim-Run–VA event takes place tomorrow down the fall line of the James River in downtown Richmond. Swim–Run–VA is the first “Otillo Style” swimrun event to come to Virginia and just the second in the United States.

Swimrun is a fast-growing endurance sport between two predefined points along a set course of cross country runs and open water swims without stopping in between. SwimRun races are team events with 2 athletes per team. Teams can be either all male, all female or gender mixed.

Athletes on the same team have to be within 10 meters of each other at all times. Racers can use any gear they deem necessary but must start and finish the race with all gear with which they started.

The spirit of SwimRun is based on teamwork, motivation, fun and passion. The sport was conceived in 2006 when ÖTILLÖ (meaning “Island to Island”) was held for the first time in Sweden. The concept of SwimRun was a challenge between a group of friends to race across the Stockholm archipelago, running over the islands and swimming between them. The race concept has grown all over Europe and the original is now the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship.

ÖTILLÖ as an organization celebrates its 11th year anniversary this year. The race will start at 3Sports in the River Road Shopping center near the Huguenot Bridge. Racers will enter their first swim on the south side of the bridge at Huguenot Flatwater Park. The race will continue to Chapel Island where the racers will exit their final swim of the day and race to the finish near Tredegar American Civil War Center.