Welcome to episode 326 of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!

The Countdown to Ötillö series is back. With five months to go until the 20th anniversary of the Swimrun World Championship, we are kicking off a monthly series tracking our build all the way to September. This one is packed.

First, super intern Dave Damer joins us to break down the 2026 Ötillö start list. 199 teams, 24 countries, and nearly half the field doing Ötillö for the first time. US participation has gone from 16 athletes in 2022 to 68 this year, and two new countries, Argentina and Zimbabwe, are on the start list for the very first time.

Then Coach Liz — Chipper's swimrun coach and Ötillö finisher — sits down with us to talk through what a five month build to a race like this actually looks like. Rest days, balancing training with family and summer schedules, open water swim prep, wetsuit practice, gut training for a race that can go all day, and the gear decisions you want sorted before you are standing at the start line in Sweden.

Enjoy!

That's it for this week's show.

If you are enjoying the Löw Tide Böyz, be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player and leave us a five-star rating and review since that's the best way for people to discover the show and the sport of Swimrun. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on YouTube. Check out our website for Swimrun resources including gear guides, tips, how-to videos and so much more. Also make sure to check out our meme page @thelowtideboyz on Instagram. If you have any suggestions for the show or questions for us, send us a dm or an email at lowtideboyz@gmail.com. Finally, you can support our efforts on Patreon...if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for listening and see you out there!

Chip and Chris

Countdown to Ötillö: 5 Months Out