We spent more than 18 months chasing our dream location in the UK, we wanted to find something unique. By chance we happened upon the Isles of Scilly. It is truly a unique place where it is difficult to not get emotionally affected.
The Isles of Scilly are off the south-west tip of England, in the Atlantic. They have been inhabited since the Stone Age and is a mythical place. All in all, 140 islands of which five are inhabited. At times, when low tide is low, you can walk between islands. Exceptional beauty and a pristine environment where the power of the Ocean is never far away! The trail- running is magical with some of the most beautiful runs we have ever done.
We work very closely with the Wildlife Trust to make sure the running sections have a minimum of impact on the nesting birds and wildlife. In June the flowers are in full bloom which is apparent when passing through the beautiful Tresco Gardens and the sea is usually calmer but still with huge tidal changes of more than 5 metres.
Saturday: Sprint & Experience races
Sunday: World Series
This race course is tough and spectacular! You need to be strong in the water as we have almost 22% swimming in real open- water where waves, wind and tidal currents will test the metal of you and your team. On land you need to move fast, stay warm and be agile on your feet.
The weather in June is usually summer weather but the Isles of Scilly is in the Atlantic and the weather can vary very much during the course of the weekend with sun, calm, rain and storm. As the swims are long you need to dress smart, the Ocean temperature is about 14 degrees. Plan to travel in time as the ferry from Penzance can be quite the adventure.
This is swimrun in its true adventure sense. The start and finish will be in Hugh Town on St.Mary and we will race to and around the big islands of St.Martin’s, Tresco and Bryher, passing magical small, uninhabited islets.
The swimming sections will test your abilities and your mental strength as there is a large tidal difference and you will most likely encounter big ocean- swell. There will be a minimum of 8 swims and the longest swim will be around 2 500 metres. The running sections will be fast with some sections on loose sand and some on rocky outcrops. You need to be fast on land and strong in the water!
The total winning time will be close to five hours. We will have three cut-off for safety reasons, these are based on the 2016 times and you are racing against the tidal flows. The longest time on the course will be close to 8 hours. There will of course, be plenty of safety, energy stations in pubs and medical staff on call.
The total distance is just under 40 km. The course can change in last minute as this is a race in a very weather sensitive area and it can be large waves and strong winds.
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