2023-06-25 22:52:01
The starting field of the Challenge Roth 2023 promised a lot. At the end of a long day of swimming, cycling and running through Franconia, the long-distance triathlon kept what it promised – record times and great emotions behind the finish line. The Dane Magnus Ditlev repeated his victory from the previous year and smashed Jan Frodeno’s track record by around eleven minutes to 7:24:40 hours. A little later, Daniela Ryf took almost ten minutes off the clock and beat Chrissie Wellington’s world record just as spectacularly. The first to congratulate each other at the finish were none other than Frodeno and Wellington themselves. With second place for Patrick Lange and second and third place for Anne Haug and Laura Philipp, the Challenge Roth was also a successful day from a German perspective.
Photographer Ingo Kutsche was on site at Challenge Roth 2023 for runnersworld.de. His most beautiful pictures from the triathlon can be found here:
Ingo Kutsche
At 6:30 a.m. the starting signal for this year’s Challenge Roth was given to the fastest professional men. Three minutes later the women were sent off. It should be a fast and, above all, good swim for the favourites. The American Ben Kanute was the first to get out of the water following 3.8 kilometers in 46:36 minutes. After his long-distance debut at Ironman Arizona 2022, Kanute was not considered one of the top favorites, even though he also started the race as the reigning runner-up at half the distance. With the Vice World Champion from Hawaii, the Frenchman Sam Laidlow, the strong Dane Daniel Baekkegard, Patrick Lange and last year’s winner Magnus Ditlev, all hot contenders for the title were among the frontrunners.
Magnus Ditlev and Sam Laidlow dominate cycling at Challenge Roth 2023
On the 180 kilometers of cycling, which had to be completed in two laps, Ditlev and Laidlow made an impressive impact on the events. After half the distance, they had clocked up more than six minutes on Lange and Kanute and saw themselves on course for a clear course record. Ditlev got off his bike following just 3:57:45 hours. Laidlow followed a second behind, only a few seconds longer in the saddle. Both had gained a comfortable cushion of around twelve minutes on Lange and her other pursuers. Andreas Dreitz, Nils Frommhold and Sebastian Kienle, three other German Roth winners from recent years, followed in fifth, tenth and 14th place. The Challenge Roth 2023 was an emotional race, especially for Frommhold and Kienle. Both are ending their professional careers with the current season and have a lot in common with the event in Franconia. Frommhold was able to win in Roth in 2015 and has already been on the podium four times. Kienle’s long-distance career even began in Roth in 2010. With second place, he was the first rookie to finish in less than eight hours. Another second place and a win in 2018 complete the Roth vita of the Ironman Hawaii winner of 2014. For both of them it should be the farewell to the big German stage.
Ingo Kutsche
Six Ironman Hawaii titles in one picture: Jan Frodeno and Patrick Lange celebrate Sebastian Kienle on his farewell in Roth.
Magnus Ditlev wins Challenge Roth 2023, Patrick Lange scratches the 2:30 hour marathon
Magnus Ditlev had no time to brood, who was able to break away from Sam Laidlow following just a few kilometers and ran an outstanding marathon to the end. With a running time of 2:37:09 hours, the young Dane didn’t show any weakness when running and caused a bang with 7:24:40 hours. Only Kristian Blummenfelt was faster at the Ironman Cozumel, but swimming there is characterized by a notable back current. Ditlev’s time should therefore be recognized as the new world record. The first to congratulate was Jan Frodeno, who stormed to the record at the same time in 7:35:39 in 2016. Behind him, Patrick Lange ran the fastest marathon of the entire competition and came closer in big strides. The route for the two-time Hawaii winner was clear – the 2:30 hour barrier was to fall for the first time in long-distance triathlon history. He already showed that this is possible in 2022 at the Ironman Israel, when he was only missing a good half a minute. Even in Roth it shouldn’t quite succeed. Nevertheless, he proved his outstanding running form with 2:30:27 hours and improved his own running record by a few seconds. In the end, the clock stopped for him following 7:30:04 hours as second. Kanute ran a similarly strong marathon as Ditlev, finishing third following 7:37:01 hours. Andreas Dreitz was ninth in 7:50:30 hours and still made it into the top 10. Sebastian Kienle said goodbye following 8:03:49 hours as 14th from the Roth crowd, Nils Frommhold following 8:16:02 hours as 18th.
Daniela Ryf silences doubters early on
There was also a small surprise when the women were swimming. Daniela Ryf got out of the water in the lead duo with Fenella Langridge and had solid ground under her feet once more following 50:15 minutes. Things didn’t go so well for the two German hopefuls Laura Philipp and Anne Haug, who got out of the Main-Danube Canal regarding four minutes later. Reigning Hawaii champion Chelsea Sodaro was in between with her group and started the bike course regarding two minutes behind.
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At the latest in the second discipline, the five-time Hawaii winner from Switzerland left her critics silent. Kilometer following kilometer she put time between herself and her pursuers and circled lonely at the front. With an outstanding individual performance of 4:22:56 hours, Ryf smashed the Roth bike record and started the run with a full 13 minutes ahead of Lisa Nordén. Laura Philipp and Anne Haug were 18 and 20 minutes behind Ryf, who was driving like unleashed. The two Germans started the marathon in fourth and sixth place. In between was another strong runner, Sodaro, who was able to move up to second place, but had to drop out a good ten kilometers before the finish. Ryf, who has already won twice in Roth, showed no signs of weakness in the marathon either and kept her pursuers at a distance until the finish line. With the second fastest time of 2:51:55 hours, she made her victory perfect and in a sensational 8:08:21 hours she smashed the world record time of Brit Chrissie Wellington (8:18:13 hours), who was the first to congratulate her at the finish. Wellington himself improved this brand three times in a row in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions. Twelve years later, it has found a worthy successor in Ryf.
Anne Haug and Laura Philipp took second and third place at Challenge Roth 2023
Anne Haug once once more achieved an outstanding performance on the running course. But catching up on Ryf by 20 minutes was impossible that day. Nevertheless, she ran by far the fastest marathon in 2:44:45 hours and moved up from sixth to second place. After 8:21:09 hours she stopped her watch. Also in a league with Daniela Ryf was Laura Philipp, who missed Wellington’s mark by just a few seconds at the Ironman Hamburg in 2022. At Challenge Roth 2023 she was not quite as fast in 8:25:31 hours, but still showed a world-class performance. Philipp completed the marathon in 2:52:12 hours. With Henrike Grüber (8:51:31 hours), Johanna Ahrens (9:13:59 hours) and Maja Betz (9:15:33 hours), three other Germans made it into the top rankings with places six, eight and ninth. 10 on that memorable day.
Ingo Kutsche
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