Challenge Roth

Item: Challenge Roth
Rating: 10
Author: Olivier Salmon

Triathlon

Roth, Germany · 07.07.2024

At a Glance

Event	Challenge Roth
Distance	Full IM
Date	07.07.2024
Location	Roth, Germany
Conditions	Cool start, cloudy with some rain, warming to around 22–23 °C by mid-day
Kit Highlights	Nat Lawrence’s Raceskin trisuit

Distances

Adapt the table below to your event. Delete legs that don’t apply.

Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run
3.8k canal	–	180k	–	42.2k

Goals

Goal	Target	Result
Finish time	sub 10 hours	❌
Bike split	sub 5 hours	✅
No DNF		✅

Results

Finish Time	Age Group	Gender	Overall
10:10:32	50th

Pre-Race

Travel & Logistics

After a branded IronMan (Nice), a hilly extreme IronMan distance (JurassiMan), and an IronMan distance over three days (Long Course Weekend Wales), it was time to race in the biggest triathlon and expo on the planet, Challenge Roth.

The Night Before / Morning Of

Sunday, 4 a.m.: I wake up. I have a 30-minute drive to the transition and need to fuel three hours before my start time (7:45 a.m.). I fill my bottles with water, add Veloforte electrolytes, get dressed, and jump into the car. I would usually have overnight porridge for breakfast, but staying in a hotel wasn’t an option.

Once parked, I head off to the transition area. Put my bike computer on its mount, add the electrolytes into the Shiv fuselage, and put the two water bottles on the back of my saddle. Then it’s time to undress, put on the wetsuit, and hand over my transition bag to the staff.

Race Narrative

Swim

I’ve tried it all. Books. Swim analysis. Training. Custom wetsuit. High-tech goggles. And my conclusion is that swimming is a very technical and ungrateful sport.
I was expecting to be slow. And I was. Despite feeling quite good all the way in the 3.8k canal loop.
A first though, I swam into a kayak 😂 I also pushed a bit too hard on my goggles, so I didn’t get water inside, but I definitely got marks around the eyes after 1h23mn. It felt like my left eye was out of its orbit.

T1

All you need to do is get out of the water and go and sit down in the tent. A volunteer will do the rest: remove your wetsuit, empty your bike kit, and take your wetsuit away. It’s super speedy.

Bike

The bike is where I am in my element. And where I hate photographers who always take photos from the front.
Thank you, Challenge Family, for having some taken from the side.
…
I was SO pleased when I finally managed to reset and upgrade the firmware on my Qarq power meter.
Now that I had power data, I could try to stick to the target of 70-75% FTP on average (208-221W). I’m pretty sure it went up when Magnus’ chasing group overtook me, as I tried sticking with them (within the legal 12m). Leon overtook me on a hill. The power they put on those is mind-blowing.
…
Talking about hills, Solar Hill was absolutely stunning; it felt like being a cyclist in the Tour de France with the road opening as you go. I felt lifted from bottom to top.
…
Nutrition was a bit off piste with my brand new Specialized bottle cages, unable to keep the bottles in (yeah, never try something new on race day). I had enough Veloforte electrolytes for most of the course, but eventually had to switch to the Challenge’s sponsor drink towards the end. Apart from that, Veloforte gels and chews all the way.

T2

5 minutes under the 5-hour mark, it was time to give the bike to one volunteer, follow another one who had my transition bag, and get on with my run.
…
Transition in Roth is like staying at a 5-star hotel.

Run

Transition in Roth is like staying at a 5 stars hotel.

Before the race, I knew a sub-10 h was possible: less than 1h30mn for the swim and T1+T2, a 5h bike leg, and a 3h30mn marathon.
…
For the run, I decided to go carbon with my On Boom, which served me well in the London marathon (3h03) and the LCW marathon (3h20). Having raced those two with laces, I thought it was time to upgrade to a ‘no lace’ solution. They say never try something new on a race day … I did.
…
I started well, at around 4mn30/km. But quickly, my feet felt compressed. I had to stop to adjust the ‘no lace’ system and got back to a 4mn45/km pace, hoping to maintain it for as long as I could.
…
Aid stations were well placed, every 1.5 km. I still don’t know how to drink and run, so I walk in each of them. That’s not where I lost time!
…
About 5k in, maybe a bit more, I felt pain in my quads. Both. Something I’ve never experienced before. It could be the bike ride, pushing hard, but I believe it’s the carbon plate that wasn’t right for me and the course.
…
The pain started to go worse and worse as the km went. I convinced myself not to walk up until km 33. I’ve tried stretching, but the pain remained, and my legs got stiffer. The cap went backwards, a sign it’s time to go deep.
…
I’ve tried the Coué’s method, repeating to myself that I wasn’t in pain. Also telling myself that pain was temporary and regrets eternal, plus that I paid for this. But still, I had to walk. As little as possible, but I did walk, losing some precious time here and there.

The Finish Line

I had to walk. As little as possible, but I did walk, losing some precious time here and there.
…
I didn’t want a DNF. I was cautious. With 2k to go, I knew it was in the bag, and I – somehow – managed to put the pain aside and finish in less than 10 minutes, lifted by the amazing crowd.
…
10h10mn32s, it’s what took me to conquer Roth. A bit disappointed, but proud of my achievement. IM distance #4 (Nice, JurassicMan, LCW, Roth). And a PB.

Time Chip

Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Finish
01:23:53	00:04:22	04:55:12	00:03:59	03:47:07	10:10:32

Post-Race

Recovery & Celebrations

The post-race recovery park was impressive: massage, showers, food, drinks, … They’ve definitely learned how to throw a good event after 40 years running.

What Went Well

The bike leg, definitely.

What To Improve

No surprises here, I need to improve my swimming.

Race Ratings

Organisation	10/10
Course	9/10
Atmosphere / Crowd	9/10
Post-Race Experience	11/10
Value for Money	10/10
Overall	10/10

Final Thoughts

Definitely the best triathlon in the world. If it weren’t for the registration process, I would do it every single year. I also believe it’s worth going there, even if you are not a competitor; the triathlon village in itself is a must-see.