Laidlow Sets World Record in Roth – Bogen Third on Debut

After the first two disciplines, swimming and cycling, Leipzig's Rico Bogen had still led the men's field before being overtaken on the run course.

The 25-year-old Bogen, who was making his long-distance debut in Roth, impressed with third place and needed 7:27:53 hours.

At the finish, he trailed Laidlow by 6:49 minutes but held his own against the strong international competition.

Bogen was overjoyed after the race and told Bayerischer Rundfunk: „Ich hätte es mir vorher nicht vorstellen können, hier bei dem starken Starterfeld, aber es war einfach ein super Tag. Ich habe alles riskiert." About the race experience in Franconia, he added: „Beim Rennen denkt man, man macht das nie wieder, aber Roth ist schon extrem geil."

Women's Race and Swiss Victory

In the women's race, Switzerland's Alanis Siffert won in 8:09:09 hours, with favored Briton Lucy Charles-Barclay finishing second, 7:32 minutes behind.

The Bogen family experienced a special weekend: Bogen finished third in the men's race.

Double Success for the Bogen Family

His two-year-older sister Bianca Bogen won the Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Jönköping, Sweden, on the same day in 4:06:51 hours.

There, she relegated France's Marjolaine Pierre, who finished 37 seconds back, and Denmark's Anastacia Damm Nielsen, who came third 3:20 minutes behind, to the lower places.

The Ironman 70.3 distance consists of 1.9 kilometers of swimming, 90 kilometers of cycling, and 21.1 kilometers of running.

Caroline Pohle from Leipzig, who had led during the bike segment, was overtaken during the marathon and finished fifth among the women in Roth with a time of 8:13:18 hours – it was her long-distance debut.

The Challenge Roth is one of the most tradition-rich long-distance triathlon races and attracts top athletes from around the world to the Franconian town every year.

With Laidlow's new world record and strong German placings, the 2026 race received particular sporting brilliance.