SwimRun is a multiple-stage race which involves many peculiarities & challenges. It resembles a fight for survival and offers adventure experiences in nature. Athletes in pairs, who compete in off-road running and open water swimming, are participating, with continuous alternations from one sport to another, tied together with an elastic rope and carrying an individual watertight float. They are required to swim in shoes or store them temporarily in their personal float swimming buoy and wear them again for the next run, and they must wear a wetsuit both at sea and during the run. Unless otherwise decided (due to the summer weather), it is customary to carry with them in their waterproof swimming buoys any food or drink they wish to take during their race, returning the packets at the end.

• Only pairs of roped athletes compete, so each athlete has first aid if needed,
• A wetsuit is mandatory, which does not allow the athlete to leave the surface of the sea, no matter what happens and
• It is compulsory for each athlete to wear a waterproof personal float, which enables him to have food and hydration with him, but also to hold on if something happens to him in the sea.

The first application of sport in the Mediterranean, started in Greece and specifically in Hydra in November 2018. In fact, while it was designed to take place in 3 rotations of each of the two swimming and running parts of a total race distance of 14.7 km (3.7k Swimming and 11k running), due to weather conditions 2 rotations totaled distance 13.1km were implemented (3.1k swimming and 10k running).
Since then (from 2019) it has been designed to carry out two distances, that were implemented in 2019 and 2021.

- Initiation to SwimRun 9,4 (Swim 0,6k | Run 4k | Swim 0,9k | Run 3,9k)

- Core Distance SwimRun 23,6 (Swim 1,5k | Run 5,5k | Swim 1,7k | Run 7,8k | Swim 2,6k | Run 4,5k)

With the experience of 2021 as well as the feedback from experienced foreign athletes who took part in the event, the routes,the rationale and the distances were changed and enriched for 2022, as follows:

- Initiation distance SwimRun 12,8k (4 legs of Run, total distance 10,8k, 84,4% | 3 legs of Swim, total distance 2k, 15,6%)

- Core distance SwimRun 24,1k (6 legs of Run, total distance 19,4k, 80,4% | 5 legs of Swim, total distance 4,7k, 19,6%)

- Advanced distance SwimRun 40,1k (7 Running Legs, total 34,5k (85%) | 6 Swimming Legs, total 5,6k (15%)

Completing the 2022 event, new improvements incorporated in 2023, introducing the 3 distances, but in the following way:

- Initiation distance SwimRun 12,8k (4 legs of Run, total distance 10,8k, 84,4% | 3 legs of Swim, total distance 2k, 15,6%)

- Core distance SwimRun 23,4k (6 legs of Run, total distance 19,7k, 84,4% | 5 legs of Swim, total distance 3,65k, 15,6%)

- Advanced distance SwimRun 38,7k (7 Running Legs, total 33,9k (87,6%) | 6 Swimming Legs, total 4,8k (12,4%)

Finally, due to adverse weather conditions, a contingency plan was followed for the 2023 event, while the same distances and routes remain for 2024.

TRIMORE SwimRun Hydra, from 2022, is a part of the MySwimRun Championships, qualifying for the finals each year, and in 2023, the Advanced/ Marathon Distance 38,7k was the world final of the championship.

• Discover the best SwimRun sceneries of Europe!
• There are already 10 races in 10 different countries part of the Series, which offers distances for Sprint, Half Marathon and Marathon.  
• Enjoy the different flavour and special culture at different locations from individual organizers . 
• There is an annual ranking of your points you gathered at our qualifier races for Sprint (~10k), Half Marathon (~20k) and Marathon (~40k) and Different age groups at the championship. 
• Enjoy the image status having been qualified for the Championships or your annual ranking (result from the sum of the ages of each pair of atletes).
• Find more informations at www.myswimrunchampionships.comand live ranking of athletes at Ranking Status-Qualification | My SwimRun Championships.

TRIMORE SwimRun Hydra, part of the World Tour of the SwimRun Championship, gives qualification to athletes based on their participation in all the races in the world, while at the same time, in collaboration with Aquatic Runner (the pioneer of Individual / Solo SwimRun from Italy), gives qualification to pairs of winners to participate individually in the race. AquaticRunner's slots for 2023, will be awarded to the 1st men's team, 1st women's team & 1st mixed team.

SwimRun Hydra at the end of 2022, in a survey carried out by swimrun.com, rewarded as one of the "Highly Commended" SwimRun races of the year in Europe. All results at  Winners of the Swimrun Annual Awards 2022 announced!-swimrun.com.

Athletes may use special swimming equipment like paddles or pull buoys and wear shoes during running. Floating aids are not allowed that are not provided by the organizer). Each piece of equipment has to be carried throughout the race.

The team of 2 must complete the race tied together with the rope which the organizer will provide with the exception of the long distance (Advanced) during which athletes are allowed to untie while running in special places (difficult descents and climbs). Mandatory equipment are: wetsuit, swimming cap, vest shirt with bib number. Shoes & wetsuits can be taken off during swimming or running, but have to be carried until the end of the race (the orgianizer provides - and is obligatory - a buoy for safety & transfer of belongings for each athlete), with the exception of the long distance -Advanced- during which it is not allowed to be used during the run and is offered by the organization before each difficult swim and is handed over by each athlete after the completion of the swim, while the wetsuit in every subsequent swim, should be worn.

The experience is unprecedented, particularly intense and with amazing changes of emotions. The scenery and nature offered by the terrain of Historical Hydra, fits perfectly in the fulfillment of all the parameters of a special and indelible sporting experience.

We are happy to share the world’s first swimrun book with you.

Download it free of charge and please share it with your friends to help more people join this fun and exciting new sport!

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