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Alanis Siffert recorded a stunning shock victory as the big-name pre-race favourites Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kat Matthews were put in the shade by the exuberant brilliance of the 24-year-old Swiss starlet. Charles-Barclay had exited the swim in first place but was soon caught by the eventual winner as they set out on the bike, and it was a lead that the brilliant Siffert was determined to hold on to.

Sam Laidlow (FRA) defended his Challenge Roth title in thrilling and record-breaking fashion against arguably the strongest-ever men’s field, holding off a charging Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR). It was a bold tactical masterclass from Laidlow which set up the victory – he helped drive a five-man front group to a three-minute advantage over Blummenfelt and the rest in the swim.

Here’s what happened in the swim in the women’s race at Challenge Roth… Watch the race live HERE. Three women made their move on the bike to edge away from the chasing pack and put themselves into a strong position ahead of the decisive marathon.

Here’s what happened on the bike in the men’s race at Challenge Roth… The big news at T1 was the significant three-minute gap that a front five of Sam Laidlow (FRA), German trio Rico Bogen, Jonas Schomburg and Finn Große-Freese plus Menno Koolhaas (NED) had opened up. That quintet had worked brilliantly to distance pre-race favourite Kristian Blummefelt (NOR), who exited the water in sixth alongside Fred Funk (GER) – click here to read more about the swim.

Here’s what happened in the swim in the women’s race at Challenge Roth… Watch the race live HERE. Lucy Charles-Barclay dominated the swim as expected in the Danube-Main Canal as the British athlete took an early grip on the 2026 Challenge Roth. As expected, the temperature of the water in Bavaria was not cold enough for officials to deem this a wetsuit swim, but that did not prevent LCB from powering away right from the moment the cannon sounded.

Here’s what happened in the swim in the men’s race at Challenge Roth… The big – though not unexpected – news was that it was going to be a non-wetsuit swim, with the water temperature 25 degrees Celsius in the Danube-Main Canal. Conditions – in terms of a fast time – were otherwise ideal, with a pleasant overcast morning and virtually no breeze. The air temperature at the start at 0630 local time was 18C.

Having finally experienced the unique atmosphere of Challenge Roth for herself, Kat Matthews is now determined to complete the perfect week by claiming victory on her debut in Bavaria. Slightly bemused by suggestions that it has taken her quite a long time to decide to race Roth, it seems the stars have at last aligned to give her an opportunity that she is clearly keen to grab with both hands.

Most athletes spend months building towards a major race like Challenge Roth, carefully fine-tuning every aspect of their preparation so they are ready when the cannon fires. Lucy Charles-Barclay, by contrast, has barely had a week to prepare herself. Her late inclusion was as much a surprise as it was welcome, with the British star more than filling the sizeable gap which had been left in the women’s field by local hero and defending champion Laura Philipp.

Fred Funk made his full-distance debut at Challenge Roth last year when, by his own admission, he raced “conservatively” en route to fifth place. This weekend he returns aiming to get into the race more forcefully,, despite it boasting one of the strongest-ever men’s fields. It’s headed by Kristian Blummenfelt and Sam Laidlow, with a third IRONMAN World Champion in Patrick Lange also taking part.

Kristian Blummenfelt holds the two fastest men’s times in full-distance history – 7:21:12 from IRONMAN Cozumel in 2022 and 7:21:24 from IRONMAN Texas earlier this year. And he fully expects those to come under threat on Sunday when he makes his first appearance at Challenge Roth, with a stellar field up against him. They include the Roth course record holder in Magnus Ditlev, who clocked 7:23:24 there in 2024 when winning the Bavarian race for the third year in succession.