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Every athlete has their own story and racing in the triathlon mecca is a lifelong dream for many. Like every year, in addition to the top athletes, it is also worth taking a deeper look into the age group field.

A pioneer in triathlon and well-known TV face
Attending Roth for the first time, Dr Dina Al Tayeb (bib number 1403) wants to tackle the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42.2 km run. She is a pioneer in the sport and the first Arab triathlete and also the first Saudi Arabian woman to qualify and successfully compete in the Ironman World Championship.

Roth triathlon district can once again look forward to the Tagesschau announcer, Thorsten Schröder, who, with bib number 994, will get to know the Solarer Berg for the first time since his race in 2021. In addition the coach of the Norwegian national triathlon team, Frode Jermstad, and the managing director of triathlon magazine, Frank Wechsel, will also race as individuals. With the inside views of the race, Wechsel can provide many details for the first triathlon special of over 120 pages on the race in Roth, which will be published on 7 July.

People with disabilities go the full distance
People with physical or mental disabilities also want to tackle the incredible distances that make long course triathon. Among others, Javier Merida (start number 2001) and Rene Maier (start number 2002) will tackle the race with a prosthesis, which will be handed to them by the volunteers at the swim exit. Even a severe blood clotting disorder cannot stop Markus Bachhuber (bib number 2006). He, too, manages the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and 42.2 km run completely alone. Together with a guide, Edwin van Geenen will race with a severe visual impairment. He will swim on a tether with a guide, cycle in tandem and run the 42.2 km together with the guide.

Charity relay for the benefit of Deutsche Lebensbrücke
As a partner of DATEV Challenge Roth powered by hep AG, bib number 4000 belongs to the charity relay in aid of the Deutsche Lebensbrücke. The patron of the charity is AG1 ambassador Sebastian Kienle. German swimming world champion Sarah Wellbrock will do the swim, the bike will be contested by the Austrian professional ultra cyclist and record holder Christoph Strasser and German Olympic runner, Philipp Pflieger, will bring the charity relay team to the finish line. AG will also donate 10,000 euros to Deutsche Lebensbrücke to support and expand the breakfast club.  

There are also a lot of celebrities in the "Kick Ass" relay with the start number 4001. The former world and European champion in the 200m breaststroke Marco Koch will open the relay in the Main-Danube Canal. As a cyclist, Paul Ripke will get to know the triathlon district of Roth. The content creator is one of the most important German social media personalities. He also became known for his work as a photographer with the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 team and the German national football team. Eugen Schiller, a very well-known face in the community, will take over the marathon. He is the founder of the running community KRAFT Runners. Together with his wife Maren Schiller, he also publishes the podcast "zwanglos.studio".