On Sunday, August 13, four Gorham residents were among 74 teams to finish the arduous short course of the second annual SwimRun USA in Casco Bay. The Casco Bay short and long course events are the only “Otillo” (Swedish for “island to island”) races in the United States.
The official sport is about a decade old, with two-person teams swimming between islands and running island terrain. Rules require teammates to be within 10 meters of each other at all times, and the Casco Bay event requires teammates to be tethered during the swim portions. Athletes are allowed to use hand paddles, pull buoys, wetsuits and fins, and are required to have select safety gear. All athletes must finish the race with the gear in which they started.
Photo credit Tina RuelGorham resident Chris Dodd and his teammate, Jessica Gagne, finished the last swim leg between House and Peaks Island during the 2nd Annual SwimRun course.
The short course consisted of 2.25 miles of swimming and 6.5 miles of running over four islands. The long course was comprised of five miles of open water swimming and 15 miles of running over 10 islands.
This event supports the Travis Mills Foundation for combat veterans and their families. The non-profit organization owns the Maine Chance Lodge and Retreat in the Belgrade Lakes Region, formerly the estate of cosmetics pioneer Elizabeth Arden.
The local competitors’ results: Team Darwin’s Fittest (Elin Brown of Gorham, Christine Beecher), 41st Overall / 25th Female; Team Smiles for Miles (Jenny Skolfield of Gorham, Melissa Lizotte), 58th Overall / 31st Female; Team On the Rocks (Chris Dodd of Gorham, Jessica Gagne), 57th Overall / 15th Co-Ed; Team Swim Like Stone (Michael Cushing of Gorham, Barney Boynton), 70th Overall / 14th Male.