||| FROM JUSTINE OWEN |||
This past weekend, you may have noticed more bright running shoes in town, unseasonable swimming in Cascade Lake, and early-morning, late-90s rock music carrying on the breeze at Rosario. More than 300 athletes, plus their friends and family, were drawn to the island to participate in the Odyssey SwimRun Orcas Island race on Sunday.
SwimRun is a scrappy young cousin of adventure racing and triathlon, combining trail running and open water swimming. The trick is that you alternate sports as you move along the course, running in your wetsuit and swimming in your shoes. Moran State Park is an ideal spot with scenic trails connecting crisp lakes, and close enough for a quick swim in Cascade Bay to keep things exciting.
This year saw several finishers from San Juan county: Lon Freeman and Justine Owen of Olga, and Jonathan Anderson and Jesse Nye from Friday Harbor. Everyone also enjoyed the great support of several hardy volunteers who braved the PNW weather to keep athletes fueled and on course, even monitoring the swims from their kayaks!
Odyssey SwimRun first brought their race to Orcas Island in 2018. They hope to see it continue to grow and get more community involvement. If you’d like to help out or participate yourself, you can learn more on their website.
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