MARIGOT--The team of Gregoire Pigeon and Nicolas Le Tulzo (SXM Strong) won Sunday’s second edition of SXM Swim Run on Bikini Beach after completing the distance from the start in Friar’s Bay in 1:44:04. After Saturday’s downpours, the weather stayed dry for the race.
Emerging from the water in a close second place was Pierre Chassagne and Gilles Raynal in 1:44:42. Third place went to Willy Figere and Yann Ribeyre (Pim Pam Poum) in 1:44:50. The first mixed team (fourth overall) went to Jean-Marc Outil and Jessica Outil (Les Zoutis SBH) in 1:45:45.
Erwan Gentil and Quentin Laude (Laurel and Hardy) finished in fifth place in 1:54:42. The first all-female team (ninth overall) was Magalie Merle and Karen Lerest (Dotphines) finishing in 2:00:51.
Twenty-two teams gathered for the start in Friars Bay at 7:00am. The race consisted of four swimming segments and four running segments from Friars Bay to Happy Bay, Grand Case, Anse Marcel, Mont Vernon and Orient Beach. The objective is for teams to swim together, run together, and finish together.
Teams can be attached to one another with a rope if one partner gets tired. This was mainly a help in the swim segments as the swimmer behind did not have to worry about direction.
On Orient Beach participants ran from Mont Vernon up to Kon Tiki before taking to the water and swimming to the finish at Bikini.
Participants had to keep their shoes on for the swims so pull buoys placed between the legs helped flotation. Hand paddles were also used for a stronger stroke. There was an option to use fins, but these would have to be carried on all the run segments so not surprisingly participants did not use fins.
“Because we had to change the date of the race we lost some teams from Guadeloupe and St. Barths,” noted organiser Boris from Tous a L’Ô Association. The first edition last year was held two days before Hurricane Irma struck the island. Thirty-three teams took part.
