Wants to dominate and defend his title: Sam Laidlow announces his participation in DATEV Challenge Roth 2026

March 5, 2026

Last year's winner and Ironman World Champion returns to Roth

ROTH. (March 5, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – When the start gun goes off on July 5, 2026, the reigning men’s champion will be back om the start line. Sam Laidlow returns to DATEV Challenge Roth after his triumph last year to reclaim the crown in Roth.

The 27-year-old makes no secret of his ambitions: “I’m not coming back to Roth to play it safe. I want to defend the title and be dominant. I want the record.”

The emotional images in the 2025 finish area already showed how special this race is for the Frenchman: “Roth is a special place for me. The atmosphere, the crowd, Solarer Berg, it’s impossible not to feel it. Last year showed me what’s possible there, and coming back as defending champion gives me even more motivation to chase that feeling of crossing the line as champion again.”

After his Ironman world championship title in 2023, last year’s victory in Roth was the crowning glory after a rollercoaster ride of sporting events in the months leading up to it. Shortly after the race in Roth, Laidlow won Ironman Leeds and finished fifth at the Ironman World Championship after a turbulent race.

Race director Felix Walchshöfer is delighted about the return of the defending champion: “I was already extremely happy last year that Sam committed to Roth. We were in constant contact. When Sam wrote to me during his difficult times in preparation that Roth was the ultimate goal he was working towards, it meant an incredible amount to me. He was one of the first to sign up again for this year. If Sam is as fit as he was last year, anything is possible again.”

On July 5, we will see if the Frenchman can make history once more.