Challenge Roth: Race Build up

On the Ground for Europe’s Biggest Triathlon Day – ROTH!

Denis Oakley is in Roth with only his iPad and iPhone. These are his words, posted by Emma Bishop – I think he forgot the laptop on purpose!!
Like most English speakers I pronounced Roth, with a breathy ‘th’ sound. Talking my hosts Gunter and Daniela Schmidt i discovered that you don’t pronounce the h, and you say it more like Rot. I still haven’t managed to get my pronunciation right.
The drive to Roth from Frankfurt airport where I landed, takes you through rolling heavily forested hills. With the car windows open on a summers evening, scents and smells assault you. The warm resin of the pines, the scent of lavender fields and the smell of – cows! The sun sets slowly turning the western sky into a sheet of reddish gold.

Driving along the autobahn, I see the first sign of why Roth is so special.

Many towns have some historical curiosity or tourist attraction. It’s common for them to put a brown and white sign advertising it on major roads in Europe.

As I approached my turnoff I saw a tourist sign welcoming me to the “Triathlon Region Roth”.

That gives you a sense of what Roth is about. In England they have signs like that for Formula 1 grand prix circuits. In Germany, at least in Roth, Triathlon is king.

Denis Oakley is on the ground for Challenge Roth

We spoke to a few athletes who’ve been to Roth before and do not really need an introduction. We wanted to know why they kept coming back.

They talk about three things in essence.

The race itself has a combination of a great course and awesome competition. The crowds awe and inspire you, and then the people of the region are utterly hospitable.
Belinda Granger, Rebekah Keat and Jurgen Zack (who was to race but has sadly had to withdraw) and age grouper Roger Lawton-Spence (who I guess never expected to be in the same sentence as the speed merchants above, but like all age groupers, deserves to be)

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