Latest News

The Isles of Scilly has been selected to host the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series Event in the UK. This is the first time that a qualifying race for this unique Swimrun World Championship has ever been held in the UK. The event will take place on Saturday 18th June 2016 and will be limited to 100 teams chasing the 8 qualification spots for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship on 5th September. The ÖTILLÖ is a welcome addition to Scilly’s adventure sports calendar that takes advantage of the islands’ outstanding environmental credentials; already Scilly is home to the annual World Pilot Gig Championships and Scilly Sea Swim Challenge. ÖTILLÖ is also the latest event to be organised by the Islands’ Partnership’s Scilly Events team, set up earlier this year to stimulate visitor numbers through events-led tourism, thanks to the support of the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund. The ÖTILLÖ race on Scilly will be a true test for the teams of two that will tackle a course close to 45km long with a minimum of eight swims. The open-water swim sections will total around 10km with 35 kilometres of trail running and scrambling in between - across St. Mary’s, Tresco, St. Martin’s and Bryher. The Swimrun World Championship race is ranked by media broadcaster CNN as “one of the toughest endurance races in the world”. Scilly was selected by the race organisers as the UK venue after a search of various venues that lasted a year. “We chose the Isles of Scilly because the islands are so beautiful, the environment is pristine yet challenging, and because we know that with the help and hospitality of the Scilly Events team, we will put on an awesome show,” says Race Director for ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Series, Mats Skott. “We are delighted that Scilly will host the UK qualifier for the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship,” says Isles of Scilly Events Manager Zoe Parry. “This is a great coup for the islands – helping to put Scilly on the map as a place for fun and competitive sporting challenges as well as a fantastic holiday destination. Competitors and their supporters, as well as international media, will be coming to the islands from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands and Germany, and we look forward to giving them a fantastic Scillonian experience, not just during the race, but also in the lead up to the event and at the post-race celebrations.” The Islands' Partnership wishes to extend its thanks to the Wildlife Trust, The Duchy of Cornwall, Tresco Island and The Council of the Isles of Scilly for all pulling together; without their combined support, securing the event would not have been possible. The Star Castle Hotel, Tregarthen's Hotel, St. Mary's Hall Hotel, The Atlantic Hotel and The Isles of Scilly Country Guesthouse have all kindly donated rooms for the international press. Registration for the Isles of Scilly swimrun race opens Thursday, 26th November at 15.00 GMT for the inaugural race on Scilly. Details and forms can be found at www.islesofscillyswimrun.com