2018 In Review By Swimrun Athlete Rhian Martin
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We raced in the Swimrun World Series Finale in Cannes at the weekend, which was our final race of the year. 28km running & 8.5km sea swimming (in 25 degree air temp and 21 water!)
It was an incredible race; beautiful location - sun, sea, sand - and a surprise nudist beach thrown in! We ran over crazy terrain as ever, clambering over rocks, jungle-esque forest, and even a 50% gradient up an old funicular line!
Our result: 4th mixed team, top British team overall (beating all GB male teams!) and we qualified for next year's world champs.
Our 2018 season has been impacted by injuries and illness, but we managed to pull it out the bag for all the key races. Highlights include:
- 1st mixed team in the BRECA Gower swimrun in Wales (a win of over 40 minutes!)
- 2nd mixed team in the OtillO World Series on the Isle of Scilly
- 4th mixed team in the OtillO World Series in Cannes
- 13th mixed team in OtillO World Championships, Sweden
- Top ranked British team in the SwimRun World rankings (including mixed, men’s and women’s teams)
- 3rd mixed team in 2018 OtillO World Series
- Qualified for 2019 OtillO World Championships
Aside from the actual racing, we have continued to be ambassadors for our sport. We have promoted swimrun and our sponsors through presenting at the National Triathlon Show, promotional videos for the Great Swimrun series, interviews for blogs and social media.
Our 2019 goal will be to remain the UK’s top Swimrun team, focusing on OtillO and Breca events. Likely to include OtillO Isle of Scilly, Breca Jersey, OtillO Cannes – oh yes and I will be gunning for a podium in the running race up Alpe d’Huez race.
Swimrun continues to grow in scale, with over 400 global events in 2018 and sure to be many more in 2019. We are seeing it move from the very edge of endurance sports, to become a more mainstream sport, recognised as a team event, built around respect for the environment we race through.
About the author: Rhian Martin is a swimrun athlete who competes with her husband.
