PRESS RELEASE
Stockholm, 20 August 2026
After more than two days and approximately 250 kilometres of running, swimming and navigation through the Stockholm Archipelago, the fifth edition of One Water Race has come to an end. Team 1 Australia won in 51 hours and 50 minutes, securing their second victory in the race. A total of four teams made it all the way from Arholma to Landsort – and for three of them, it was their first successful finish after previous attempts.
Team 6 Sweden finished second in 55 hours and 31 minutes, followed by Team 3 USA/FRA in 58 hours and 14 minutes. Team 7 Sweden became the fourth and final team to finish, in 59 hours and 33 minutes, after a dramatic final stretch in which they stayed within the race’s eight-hour rule by just 17 minutes.
This year’s One Water Race started on Arholma on 17 August at 4:00 PM. From there, the teams made their way south through the Stockholm Archipelago by running and swimming, navigating between mandatory checkpoints without a marked course and without GPS.
The later start time was new for 2026 and meant that the teams encountered darkness within the first few hours of the race. What followed was more than two days of open-water swimming, running across islands, navigation and sleep deprivation – all while continuously making decisions and functioning as a team.
Five starts, five finishes and a second victory
Team 1 Australia was the first to reach Landsort, finishing in 51 hours and 50 minutes. The team has competed in all five editions of One Water Race and remains the only team to have reached the finish line every year. Following their victory in 2023, this year’s result marks their second One Water Race win.
Behind the winners, three teams achieved long-awaited breakthroughs. Team 6 Sweden, Team 3 USA/FRA and Team 7 Sweden had all competed in One Water Race before but had never managed to make it all the way to Landsort. This year, all three completed the race for the first time.
For Team 7 Sweden, the drama continued until the very end. Under the race’s eight-hour rule, teams may not fall more than eight hours behind the leading team’s time at the checkpoints where the rule applies. Team 7 was right on the limit during the closing stages but made the final decisive cut-off with just 17 minutes to spare, allowing them to continue towards Landsort. They eventually crossed the finish line as the fourth and final team in 59 hours and 33 minutes.
– One Water Race is about so much more than physical capacity. After more than two days, the teams still need to navigate, work together and make the right decisions while cold, exhausted and under pressure. The fact that four teams made it all the way to Landsort, and that three of them did so for the first time after previous attempts, says a great deal about what an achievement it is to complete this race, says Thomas Ogander, founder and Race Director of One Water Race.
Extreme endurance becomes research
Alongside the race, One Water Race continued its collaboration with the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), where researchers are studying human performance under extreme and prolonged physical stress.
This year’s research had two main areas of focus: the development and evaluation of new sensor technology for collecting data throughout the race, and the psychological challenges associated with extreme endurance.
– This year, part of our focus was on developing new technology to measure heart rate, activity, skin temperature and potential sleep using a new sensor. The aim has been to measure as much as possible with a single sensor that can also withstand more than 50 hours in a demanding environment. We are positive about how the technology functioned during the race and have obtained relatively comprehensive race profiles for the teams, says Marcus Moberg, researcher at GIH.
The research now continues with an investigation into the psychological aspects of performing under prolonged physical strain, sleep deprivation, pain and adversity while still having to function as a team.
– Our second focus this year is the evaluation of the psychological challenge. Now that the race has concluded, sports psychologists at GIH will conduct in-depth interviews with members of the different teams. These will include analyses of pain management, coping with setbacks, teamwork and other factors in order to map how the participants actually manage to complete this extreme challenge, says Marcus Moberg.
Five years through the Stockholm Archipelago
2026 marks the fifth edition of One Water Race. Since its inception, the race has brought together endurance athletes from around the world for a challenge in which physical capacity is only part of what is required. Navigation, decision-making, sleep strategy and the ability to function together under extreme strain are equally crucial.
The sea and the Stockholm Archipelago remain at the heart of One Water Race. The race was also created to highlight the importance of our oceans and how climate change and human activity affect marine environments.
Results – One Water Race 2026
1. Team 1 Australia – 51 h 50 min
2. Team 6 Sweden – 55 h 31 min
3. Team 3 USA/FRA – 58 h 14 min
4. Team 7 Sweden – 59 h 33 min
Facts – One Water Race 2026
- Fifth edition of One Water Race
- Start: Arholma, 17 August at 4:00 PM
- Finish: Landsort
- Distance: approximately 250 kilometres
- Disciplines: running, swimming and navigation
- Format: nonstop, around the clock
- Four teams completed the race
- Three of the four finishing teams completed the race for the first time
- Winning time: 51 hours and 50 minutes
- Teams: four participants per team
- Navigation: teams choose their own route between mandatory checkpoints, without GPS
- Research: conducted in collaboration with GIH, focusing on physiological measurements and sports psychology
For further information, please contact:
Thomas Ogander
Founder and Race Director, One Water Race
[email protected]
+46 (0)707 49 00 85
For questions and scientific expertise regarding the research:
Marcus Moberg
Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH)
[email protected]
+46 (0)8 120 53 875
