Challenge Roth has managed to add some massive names to its start list even in the final week before the race. Following Monday’s announcement that Lucy Charles-Barclay will toe the line this coming Sunday, Magnus Ditlev has now also been confirmed as a participant. With this, the three-time champion – and the man who recorded one of the fastest times in the world there – returns to the race in Germany.
Ditlev has been going through a difficult period and has been searching for a return to peak performance for quite some time. Just last weekend, he lined up at the shortened Ironman Frankfurt, where he finished no higher than eleventh place, nearly eight minutes behind winner Casper Stornes. This coming Sunday, he obviously hopes to perform better and fight for the victory, or at the very least, a podium spot.
Ditlev previously won Challenge Roth in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and still holds the course record (7:23:24). For a long time, that time also stood as the fastest world-best time, though Blummenfelt proved significantly faster earlier this year with a time of 7:21. On Sunday, Ditlev is considered one of the favorites and will lock horns with the likes of Blummenfelt, Patrick Lange, Sam Laidlow, Jonas Schomburg, and the Dutch athlete Menno Koolhaas.
