The number of endurance athletes taking on these new-to-the-US multisport races is growing fast and so too are the number of racing opportunities on offer throughout the country.
According to the popular SwimRunShop calendar, there are now over 500 races worldwide (the vast majority in Europe), with more than 50 new races slated for 2019 alone.
The first events in the US were held in 2016, but now there are more than 40 offerings to choose from. A few of those offerings are very small with only a handful of teams and it would be difficult to officially classify them as races. However, there are now a dozen or so competitive events taking place that are challenging for even the most seasoned triathlete.
Back in January, rankings were released following the completion of the 2018 US Swimrun season and these were
published on Slowtwitch. For 2019, Marc Blake at Pacific Multisports will collect results and publish rankings more frequently throughout the year. To showcase what the rankings will look like, Blake compiled results following the Lake James event, an ÖTILLÖ merit event receiving bonus points.
In addition to awarding points for Long Course Team categories, the rankings will now also include Short Course and Solo format. The minimum course distance requirement for a race to be included is 12-kilometers total.
What will teams and athletes be racing for? Bragging rights, of course. But also, the top ranked overall Male / Female / Mixed Teams and Male / Female Individual will each receive an exclusive trophy earning them the title of Best in the US. Swimrun is a very inclusive sport, but it is still fun to see where you stack up against other participants.
Below is a list of the ranking criteria to show how points will be awarded.