About the Race
The world’s toughest challenge
What is One Water Race?
One Water Race combines extreme physical endurance with tactical navigation and teamwork. Using only a map and compass, teams must battle unpredictable weather, cold waters, rugged terrain, day, night and the complete darkness. Along the way, they must locate and pass unknown checkpoints, making strategy and decision-making just as crucial as physical strength. The race lasts for approximately 60 hours non-stop, without sleep, making it a true test of human resilience, determination, and adaptability.
The Distance
The race distance is about 250 km, a distance of 6 marathons, split up into approximately 200 km running and 50 km swimming. Running takes place on all types of terrain, rocks, cliffs, gravel roads, paths but mostly unpaved and difficult terrain. Swimming is in open sea and can often feature strong winds, currents and waves.
A Tribute to Nature and Water
One Water Race is an initiative to raise awareness about water issues and sustainability. And for the audience, it’s a unique opportunity to witness an incredible struggle where only the strongest and most united teams reach the finish line.
Follow the drama and cheer on the participants in this epic challenge. You will be able to stream the entire race, 24h a day, right here on our website.
The $100.000 Award
One Water Race aims to elevate endurance racing to a new level, both as a concept and by offering higher prize money, to inspire and enable athletes to invest more in their sport and be compensated for the effort required to overcome this extreme challenge.
The Racers
One Water Race is a professional race and created for the absolute best endurance racers in the world. There is a maximum of 10 teams able to participate with the teams needing to go through an application process whereby the most suitable are selected.
The Teams
Each team consists of three racers with both sexes represented, and one support crew team member. The support crew is responsible for the planning, support and overall navigation and of the team. The support crew is based onboard the safety boat and is allowed to meet the team on land for distribution of energy, complementary equipment etc. but not allowed to be involved in orienteering or in any other way that benefits the team’s progress on land.
Safety Boat & Team HQ
The race organization will provide each team with its own safety boat and professional skipper. This will serve as the headquarter of the team and support crew during the entire race. This is where the route will be planned as well as where food, nutrition and safety equipment for the night and swims will be prepared. The support crew may not take any help from the skipper for navigation. The support crew can go ashore but the team may never board the boat.
Navigation
The race is divided into 5 stages with each stage having one or more unknown checkpoints to be passed. It will be up to each team to choose the route they consider to be the best and fastest. A choice that must be made in consideration to weather, wind, waves, currents, terrain and pitch black night conditions. Wrong choice can and will be absolutely crucial. The organization provides the teams with official race maps.
Weather condition
The weather is a challenge with varying conditions and temperature. Sun, rain, storm, cold and not least pitch black nights. Estimated air temperature 15-20 degrees Celsius, colder at night and water temperature 12-18 degrees Celsius.
Energy and food
The teams are unsupported and is responsible for their own food and energy supply during the entire race.
Time limit
One Water Race is designed for the world’s best endurance racers and the race is a professional concept. Due to unpredictable weather conditions the official race pace is based on the current leading team. Any team more than 8 hours behind the leading team and the official race pace will be taken out of the race. We call it the “Eight Hour Rule”.
