Home #WHERETONEXT Europe EPICBLUE SWIMRUN Raises Awareness For Clean Oceans

EPICBLUE SWIMRUN Raises Awareness For Clean Oceans

Meridian Adventure Race this Sunday will host the second event of the EPICBLUE SWIMRUN Finale Ligure race to support awareness surrounding plastic pollution with proceeds going to the International non-proﬁt organisation Plastic Oceans. EPICBLUE captures the passion of caring for the ocean that is core to the ethos of the renowned Meridian Adventure Group, one of the world’s most exclusive organisations at the forefront of ocean experiences. The races empower leading swim-runners to engage in eco-friendly competition while pushing the limits of human endurance in a spectacular coastal destination.

The event will be held Sunday 27 September 2020 on Italy’s Ligurian coast, bringing the rapidly growing sport of swimrun, inspired by the Ötillö race in Sweden, to this exceptional setting. Event logistics are managed by respected ASD Polisportiva Maremola for Meridian Adventure Race.

The EPICBLUE SWIMRUN Finale Ligure race is the first event of this three-part endurance series that promises adventurous opportunities that challenge competitors to explore their personal limits while discovering new destinations. The multisport challenge invites athletes to compete at three of the most amazing outdoor sites in the world: Finale Ligure, Italy (27 September 2020); the remote location of Waisai, Raja Ampat Indonesia (10 June 2021) and the historic villages of Izmir, Sığacık and Seferihisar, Turkey (24 July, 2021).

PRO-ATHLETE CHALLENGE / ACTIVE SEMI-PROFESSIONALS
The EPICBLUE LONG ENDURANCE main course, 23.4 km in total, is a mix of open water swimming and spectacular trail running between Finale Ligure, Varigotti and Noli. The race passes through three iconic villages of the North West Riviera. Spectators can expect a fast and beautiful course with tough competition as the event will be attended by some of the world’s strongest swim-runners. Team competitions will be battling for six coveted slots in the EPICBLUE Turkey event, scheduled for July 2021.

AVID OCEAN ENTHUSIASTS CHALLENGE / SPORTING ENTHUSIASTS
The EPICBLUE SHORT EXPERIENCE course is set for those seeking a 13.4 km introduction to the sport with five swim sessions.

The total expected number of participants is 90, within limits allowed under local sanitation requirements. Athletes attending from three nations will be racing in teams of two in the following three categories: Men, Mixed and Women, or in the SOLO category which are now open for the LONG ENDURANCE Distance. Both TEAM and SOLO categories are available for both the LONG ENDURANCE and SHORT EXPERIENCE events.

“We aim not only for a new sense of adventure in the multisport format but also to provide athletes direct support of conservation efforts that are important to creating healthy and abundant oceans. As people who love the outdoors, we believe in protecting it,” said Matteo Testa, EPICBLUE Race Director.

“Meridian Adventure is honoured to have structured a partnership that uses EPICBLUE SWIMRUNS to support visibility and engagement for Plastic Oceans,” said Sean Galleymore, founder of Meridian Adventure Group. “We’re honoured to uphold the mission and purpose of an international nonproﬁt organisation that continually succeeds at raising awareness about plastic pollution and inspiring behavioural change in consumers.”

In a bid to bring passionate athletes who love the ocean together around ocean conservation, using their energy in their sport for good, EPICBLUE announced the first ambassadors for the series, Kristin Larsson and Annika Ericsson, both of whom will be racing this year in Finale Ligure. As the winning team of the women Long Endurance EPICBLUE Finale Ligure 2019 race and three-time Ötillö World Champions, Annika and Kristin represent the ideals of the Meridian Adventure and EPICBLUE, and lead efforts to support improved ocean health.

Sponsors, partners and the institutions supporting the event include: