World champions, Roth winners, Olympians, European champions, local heroes, Paralympic champions – they're all in Roth! The 2025 professional field is more diverse than ever before. Whether it's a debut or a comeback, seasoned veterans, final races or new faces: 6 July promises to be a triathlon festival full of surprises.
Two world champions lead the field
The professional field is led by the two Ironman world champions Laura Philipp and Sam Laidlow. As the reigning world champion, Laura Philipp wants to try her luck again in the ‘most atmospheric race in the world’ and, after finishing third and second in previous years, she can make it to the top of the podium, with the question, will it be under eight hours? “I don’t know if it will be me, but going sub-8 is a big step that we, women in triathlon, will take soon and the thought of being the first woman to achieve that is motivating.”
For Laidlow, it is ‘the most important race of the season alongside the Ironman World Championship.’ For him, ‘a victory in Roth would be a dream.’ In any case, it is an exciting comeback that the triathlon world can look forward to. After a long injury break, it is the Frenchman's first race since Ironman Hawaii 2024 and he holds Roth in high regard. “If you’re a professional triathlete, Roth is up there. It’s so special what Felix, Alice, Kathrin and the whole team has done – I’m a big believer in family values and the strength of the values – we’re in an industry where things come and go but Roth has been around for a long time and is here to stay with an amazing community – not only does it bring us as athletes a lot of pleasure but what it’s done for the industry as a whole is huge.”
For both of them, the title in the Home of Triathlon will be anything but a sure thing. Both will have to hold their own against top-class competition.
Experience as a trump card?
Some of the favourites for victory are already very familiar with the atmosphere and the course.
Danish athlete Daniel Bækkegård has joined the professional field at very short notice. The 29-year-old finished third in Roth in 2023 and had to withdraw early last year. He did not finish Ironman Frankfurt last week, but could continue the Danish winning streak in Roth.
Last year's runner-up, Tom Bishop, was one of the big surprises last year, and in 2025 he wants even more and is aiming for victory, as is last year's best German, Jan Stratmann. He missed the podium by just a few seconds in an exciting race. The fourth-place finisher in 2024 ‘wants to at least make it onto the podium.’
Andi Dreitz, winner of DATEV Challenge Roth 2019, knows this feeling all too well. After a long injury, he made his comeback in 2024 and could be in contention for a place at the front.
Sweden's Jesper Svensson fared similarly well in his only start in Roth to date. In 2019, he finished second behind Andi Dreitz and could spring another surprise this year.
Joe Skipper also knows what it feels like to be on the podium, having finished second in 2016 and 2017. After a difficult 2024 season, his second place at Ironman New Zealand and his withdrawal from Ironman Austria in mid-June, the triathlon community is eagerly awaiting his current form on 6 July.
Also a late entry, but with momentum behind him, Finn Große-Freese is making his second start in Roth after 2024. The Rostock native won Ironman Austria 2025 in impressive fashion and now wants to prove himself again in the Home of Triathlon.
First long distance – in Roth, of course
This year's edition of the DATEV Challenge Roth will focus on athletes who have already made headlines at shorter distances and are now venturing into long distance for the first time.
Above all, Frenchman Vincent Luis, two-time short-distance world champion, three-time Olympian and now also two-time Ironman 70.3 winner, could cause quite a stir. He chose Roth as his first long distance because he watched his father compete in Roth 20 years ago and fell in love with the race.
From a German perspective, Fred Funk's long-distance debut is eagerly awaited, especially by himself. “I’ve never looked forward to any race like this one,” he said at the press conference. He competed in his very first triathlon 22 years ago at Junior Challenge Roth. In 2025, he will return to the place where it all began for him in the long distance. For Funk, there was ‘no question’ that his first long-distance triathlon would take place in Roth.
Australian Grace Thek has also achieved important victories in the middle distance, such as at Challenge Salou and Ironman 70.3 Geelong. She wants to ‘feel the magic of Roth’ and certainly also achieve a top placing in her debut.
Roth newcomers want to have their say
Jonas Schomburg's ROTH debut could be very promising. The 31-year-old put in a spirited performance at Ironman Frankfurt last week, but had to abandon the race after just under 30km on the bike course due to a broken handlebar while leading in his long-distance debut. Now the Hanover native has a big chance in Roth and he is setting the bar high, saying at the press conference “I always like to be in the front and I believe I can beat Magnus’s time!”
American Matt Hanson proves that it's never too late to make your ROTH debut. The eight-time Ironman winner will make his professional debut at the world's largest long-distance triathlon at the age of 40.
If anyone knows how to win Challenge races, it's Jack Moody. The New Zealander finished on the podium in five of six Challenge Family races and secured the Challenge Family World Bonus in 2024. Now he's making his first start in Roth!
Justine Mathieux is flying the French flag in the women's top field. She finished third at Ironman Cozumel and was French runner-up in the long-distance triathlon in 2020. She has already finished five Ironman races on the podium and could make it onto the podium again in her Roth debut.
Nikki Bartlett is ready for ‘the world's biggest triathlon party’. The fifth-place finisher at the Ironman World Championship could play a decisive role in the battle for the top spots: ‘My dream would be to have an Erdinger shower over the women and my head on the podium!’
Alanis Siffert is a new long-distance talent from Switzerland coming to Roth. She won four middle-distance races last year. In her long-distance debut at Ironman New Zealand on 1 March, she finished a strong sixth despite suffering from pain. Can she continue the era of successful Swiss women in long-distance racing?
Olympics meets Roth
There has probably never been as much Olympic flair in long-distance racing as there is this year. Alongside Vincent Luis, Aaron Royle and Henri Schoeman also competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. All three will meet again in Roth on 6 July for their long-distance debut.
Schoeman won the bronze medal in triathlon in 2016, the first South African ever to do so. Vincent Luis finished seventh and Aaron Royle ninth. How will the clash at the DATEV Challenge Roth 2025 turn out?
Martin Schulz is sure to make an extraordinary debut. Schulz is Germany's most successful paratriathlete and wants to show what is possible with a disability by competing in the professional field. He was the German flag bearer at the 2024 Paralympic Games and won gold medals in both Rio and Tokyo. In his first long distance race, he has set himself the goal of giving the professional field a bit of a run for their money.
Schulz will face competition from China's Wang Jiachao. He won one gold and two silver medals as a swimmer at the Paralympics. As a triathlete, he wants to take the next step in his first long distance race.
‘Roth once again’
It will certainly be emotional when Roth legend Laura Siddall competes in Roth as a professional once again. For Siddall, it will be ‘something special to be able to participate in Challenge Roth again and celebrate with all the locals, my host family, the volunteers, the team and the region, who have become friends during the nine years I was there.’
It will also be a very special race for the winner of the 2017 DATEV Challenge Roth, Bart Aernouts. Eight years after his triumph, he will be on the starting line in Roth for the third and last time as a professional.
‘Back on the podium and giving the younger generation a run for their money’ is the goal of Maurice Clavel, who finished third in 2017. Will he be able to do it again?
A race that will make history
For race director Felix Walchshöfer, one thing is clear: "7 July will be a big dance. For many, it will be a glorious debutante ball, for some of our triathlon icons an emotional farewell party. Never before have we had so many top-class professionals competing in the long distance in Roth for the first time ever. They will be competing against absolute world-class athletes who already know the course here. It will be really fast, especially on the run course. So much can happen and it has all the makings of being the most exciting race ever."