20th edition of the Finnish Open Ergomarathon

The Finnish Open Ergomarathon caters to rowers who love to test their rowing endurance. Since its inauguration, over 800 scores have been recorded, spanning a range of distances from a half marathon to an epic 24-hour row. The 20th edition of the event took place this past weekend.

For 2022, organisers were delighted to host the Open Ergomarathon in a hybrid event format, meaning a welcome return to on-site competition after two years of virtual only racing forced by the pandemic. Rowers still had the flexibility to row virtually, and applications showed an even split of virtual and on-site racing from the 60 registrations this year, with a broad age distribution from under 16s to the over 90s.

Reflecting on the importance of the Ergomarathon in the Finnish rowing calendar, Piia Auranen, the event’s Information Officer, says, “Ergomarathon is traditionally the last indoor rowing competition of the season, and for some, it is their only annual indoor rowing competition. It provides a good start for the on-water rowing season, especially for those aiming to compete at the Sulkavan Soutu, the 60 km rowing event arranged annually on the second weekend of July. Indoor rowing has a big role to play in Finland because the winter seasons are long and dark, and now for instance, the lakes are still frozen.”

It takes rowers a unique level of preparation to compete in longer rowing competitions compared to the more familiar 500m or 2000m distances. Auranen provides some practical advice on how best to prepare, “it is important to learn to find “the flow” so that you can enjoy the competition and training. Good music helps.” Being well rested is also vital given the physical exertion, with organisers suggesting a “two-day total rest before the race” and being well hydrated before the start. Competitors are also advised to row outside, if possible, to avoid overheating.

The Finnish Ergomarathon organisers pride themselves on witnessing multiple national records and world records. This year was no different, with Aimo Järvelä from Evijärvi achieving a world record time for the half marathon M80+ lightweight category, a considerable achievement, having rowed 21,097 meters in 1:32:44,9.

New Finnish records were also achieved by Ilona Hiltunen in the W40+ category for the half marathon distance with a time of 1:25:15,4, which was the fastest recorded half marathon time of the day. Eija Sairanen likewise broke a record, becoming the first Finnish W40+ lightweight rower to row a full marathon in under three hours, with a time 2:59:08.7.

Athletes often flock from across the world to compete, and this year David Gilliard and Matt Jackson travelled from the UK, wanting the challenge of competing in both an unfamiliar environment and to witness first hand the only regular annual marathon ergo race in the world. They described the benefit of the in-person “camaraderie of collective suffering”, with David Gilliard summing the marathon rowing experience succinctly as “42,195m of physical and psychological sustained grim stress management.”

Their visit was a success, with David Gilliard achieving a new British record for the M50+ category with a time of 2:34:02,7, the second-fastest time of the day. The fastest marathon time of the day came from Henry Viholainen in the open category, with a time of 2:33:40,6. Matt Jackson similarly was happy, taking three minutes off his personal best.

The organisers are keen for others to travel to Finland to compete, citing the benefits of the unique community of long-distance rowers, where fellow rowers often arrange virtual races and training after meeting in person, with popularity particularly high among older rowers.

There was also optimism about the hybrid format. Auranen says, “Virtual and hybrid racing with micro-hubs is here to stay because, for many, it is the best or sometimes the only way to participate in a race.”

The Finns clearly can’t get enough of long-distance rowing, as rowers, alongside preparing for the 60km Sulkavan Soutu row in July, can also look forward to a new 24-hour rowing event on the 20^th of May in Jyväskylä.