While most residents of Nysa were fast asleep, a true battle against exhaustion was just getting underway at the indoor swimming pool. Otyliada 2026 proved that the limits of endurance lie far beyond what reason suggests — and Nysa’s swimmers delivered a surprising performance.

Logistical support for the Nysa Otyliada was provided by Bioagra, which supplied not the typical sweets and sugary bars, but supplementation kits including energy gels, amino acids, isotonic drinks, and vitamin bars, as well as recovery snacks: ham and cheese rolls, bananas, chocolate, and isotonic beverages. This kind of kit helps maintain stable performance over long hours of competition. The event was organized by the Nysa Development Agency, which manages the indoor swimming pool.

Nysa’s List of the Persistent

At 6:00 PM on Saturday, across more than sixty pools throughout Poland, over 2,600 competitors started simultaneously. In Nysa, 26 participants entered the water. The record result from 2025 (31.5 km) was not beaten. This year’s field was, however, exceptionally strong and closely matched, and the total distance covered by all participants reached 365 km — the distance you’d need to travel to get from Nysa all the way to… Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

In 2025, only two women made it into the top ten. This year saw a marked improvement among female competitors — five of them placed in the TOP 10, reflecting the growing popularity of the swimming marathon among women.

Motivation Matters

Participants explain that Otyliada is for everyone. “There’s no pressure — you can get in the water and get out whenever you want. It’s about challenging your own abilities and limits.”

A surprising example of motivation came from the youngest competitor. Marta, just under 11.5 years old, covered an impressive six kilometers — one kilometer for each member of her family. “The first kilometer was for my mom, the second for my dad, the third and fourth for my brothers, the fifth for me, and the last one for our dog Rico,” she explained.

For those who swam the furthest, “the water didn’t interfere with swimming at all — it was as if it offered no resistance,” one participant recounted. “They made minimal movements yet maintained an incredible pace. Training and natural ability really pay off.”

17 Kilometers More Than the Year Before

A year-on-year analysis of results reveals just how powerful consistent work can be. The most spectacular example of progress in the Nysa edition was Bartłomiej’s result: in 2025 he swam 10 km, finishing in 14th place. In just one year, the same swimmer improved his result by nearly 17 kilometers, achieving 26.70 km in 2026 and earning second place on the podium.

What do you do when the inevitable crisis hits? For one participant, magnesium supplementation is essential — without it, muscle cramps can quickly end your race. “When my muscles seize up, I save myself by switching stroke. I move from freestyle, which I consider the best stroke for long distances, to the calmer breaststroke. That allows my muscles to relax and recover.”

List of Otyliada 2026 Participants in Nysa

1. 1. Marta Rother: 27,30 km
   2. Bartłomiej Juraszek: 26,70 km
   3. Michał Sperczyński: 25,05 km
   4. Katarzyna Hewczuk: 24,80 km
   5. Bogusław Ogrodnik: 22,60 km
   6. Małgorzata Górska: 21,45 km
   7. Patrycja Kasprzak: 21,00 km
   8. Michał Dziedzic: 20,15 km
   9. Jan Szczepaniak: 17,60 km
   10. Maja Kułak: 15,20 km
   11. Brajan Bachniak: 14,10 km
   12. Maciej Majchrzak: 14,00 km
   13. Aleksander Gruca: 12,00 km
   14. Patryk Zwardoń: 12,00 km
   15. Oskar Buczkowski: 12,00 km
   16. Kacper Michalski: 10,88 km
   17. Magdalena Sobkowicz: 10,30 km
   18. Tomasz Jarząbek: 10,00 km
   19. Marysia Jamróz: 8,05 km
   20. Olena Tkachenko: 7,55 km
   21. Mateusz Sypek: 7,25 km
   22. Marta Kaniewska: 6,05 km
   23. Jakub Hutek: 6,00 km
   24. Łukasz Kaniewski: 5,53 km
   25. Tomasz Biliński: 4,05 km
   26. Katarzyna Jedynak: 3,40 km.

This year’s edition of Otyliada brought together a total of 2,660 competitors, who collectively covered an impressive distance of 22,225 km — more than half the circumference of the Earth. The event bridged generations, with the youngest participant being just one year old and the oldest 86.

Despite fierce competition, the Otyliada record was once again left unbroken. It has belonged for nearly a decade to Sebastian Karaś, a professional swimmer who covered an extraordinary 54.2 km. Karaś has won 50 medals at the Polish Championships across all age categories and has set 5 national records in the pool. This year, the best result in Poland was achieved by Aleksander Janczylik in Słupsk, reaching 44.9 km.