Challenge Roth 2026 set for a star-studded line-up. Here’s how to watch and who to look out for

Roth has been a staple on the triathlon calendar almost since the sport’s inception. A typical ‘A-race’ for some of triathlon’s finest, Roth is where the current long-distance records are held – both set in 2024 by Anne Haug in 8:02:38 and Magnus Ditlev in 7:23:24.

This year, Olympic champion and multiple Ironman world champion Kristian Blummenfelt will be making his long-awaited Roth debut. With France’s Sam Laidlow returning after last year’s victory to defend the title.

While Laura Philipp is returning to defend last year’s title, she’ll have some keen competition in the likes of GB’s Kat Matthews, who’s set to make her Roth debut.

This year is already set to be a little different. Soaring temperatures aside, race organisers have also brought into force a new 20m drafting rule, up from the previous 12m.

What happened at last year’s Challenge Roth?

Records fell! Across the board. First with Magnus Ditlev, who broke his own record from 2023, then GB’s Tom Bishop set a new British long-distance record (which lasted all of six weeks before Kieran Lindars blasted across the line at Ironman Frankfurt in 7:32:14 to set a new benchmark), and then the women’s record was lowered by an astonishing 6mins from the year previous time thanks to Anne Haug.

At the 2025 Challenge Roth, Laidlow completed a remarkable comeback from months of injury and illness to win the men’s race in 7:29:35, overtaking Germany’s Jonas Schomburg late in the marathon after Schomburg had led much of the bike and run, while Laura Philipp dominated the women’s race in 8:18:18 to claim her first Roth title.

The race was also notable for being the first in event history with a non-wetsuit swim due to unusually warm water temperatures, drawing one of the strongest long-distance fields of the season despite no world records falling this time.

When and where is Challenge Roth taking place?

Challenge Roth takes place on Sunday 5 July 2026 in Roth, Bavaria, Germany.

What distances will athletes race at Challenge Roth?

The race distances are the same as in a full Ironman – a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and a 42.2km run.

Who will be racing Challenge Roth 2026?

Aside from Blummenfelt’s debut, Laidlow has also publicly stated he wants to defend his crown and challenge the course record. No stranger to the course is Patrick Lange, the three-time Ironman World Champion and former Roth victor, who will also be returning to Roth for a second win: “I want to make my mark on Roth and secure my second victory here”.

If anyone can prove that they have what it takes to challenge the best at Roth, it’s Magnus Ditlev. The three-time Roth champion is the current ironman-distance record holder and Roth course record. Alongside Blummy, Rico Bogen will also be makign his debut at Roth and for him, this spells a first step into the long-dustance world after his 2023 T100 victory.

After an impressive long-distance debut in 2025, Jonas Schomburg returns as one of Germany’s leading contenders at Roth. While, veteran American Ben Hoffman will race Roth for the first time.

On the women’s side, defending Roth champion Laura Philipp will be looking to top the podium once more, but she’ll have her work cut out for her in the form of long-course champ and Roth debutant, Kat Matthews.

How much can athletes win at Challenge Roth?

Challenge Roth’s total prize purse for this year is the same as in 2025, with a total of €160,200 set to be split equally between the men’s and women’s races across the first 10 finishers.

Each of the champions will take home a cool €30,000, second-place finishers €20,000, third-place finishers €10,000, and €7,000 and €5,000 for fourth and fifth, respectively.

Challenge Roth 2026 course

The swim will start with a one-lap 3.8km loop along the Main-Danube Canal. Athletes will then jump on their bikes for 180km over two laps through Roth’s local countryside, and of course the world-famous Tour-de-France-style Solar Hill. The race finishes with a single lap marathon with some out-and-back sections following the river through Roth itself.

How to watch Challenge Roth 2026

Athletes can be tracked from the comfort of your own home via Challenge Roth’s website, which will be activated ahead of the race. The race itself will be live streamed from 6:15 AM CEST on the Challenge Roth YouTube channel, with live race commentary from Belinda Granger and Sebastian Kienle.

When does Challenge Roth 2026 start?

The times are local, CEST, which is 1hr ahead of the UK (BST).

Sunday 5 July

Race start: 6:30am

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