With the legendary Challenge Roth just days away, the lucky few thousand athletes who managed to get a spot on the start line of this iconic race will be busy ticking off their final few training sessions before it’s time to countdown to the firing of the first race morning canon.
Whether you’re racing this year, or hoping to get a place in 2026. After doing the race myself last year (and yes, I have got major FOMO that I’m not back on that start line this year!) I’m going to take a look at the key things you need to know about the bike route, so you can be ready to tear it up on race day.
Don’t let the fast times fool you
A quick look at the Challenge Roth finish times, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that the bike course must be pretty flat. But in reality, this course is far hillier than you might think – and it shouldn’t be underestimated.
Other than one relatively flat section, you can expect to spend much of your time on the bike enjoying constant rolling climbs. And while most of the climbing averages around the 2-4% gradient mark, there are a couple of sharp kickers that pitch up to 11%.
If you can pace yourself well on the climbs, and make the most of the free speed on the downhills by descending well. This is still a quick course. For context, I did IRONMAN Tallinn 7 weeks after Roth which was a very flat (but also very windy) course and posted a very similar bike split.
The key thing when you’re racing Roth is managing your pacing. Make sure you’re familiar with the route either by checking out some sections in real life or riding it on ROUVY. Resist the temptation to get over excited on the climbs and blast up them – you’ll regret it when you hit the run course.
Solar Hill is the least of your worries
If someone says ‘Challenge Roth’ and ‘hill’ in the same sentence, your mind probably instantly takes you to the Tour de France-like scenes of solar hill. Made iconic by the crowds who form a corridor along the short, sharp ascent. A wall of noise powering each participant up the gradient.
But while Solar Hill might be the most atmospheric climb on the course. It’s certainly not the only one your quad muscles need to be worrying about. I’ve done the race myself, and ridden the route in training. And I can tell you, it’s the long drag up from Greding which you’ll encounter twice – first at around the 40km mark and again 120 kilometres into the course – that it’s worth being ready for. A sharp left hand turn takes you straight into a steep kicker. It’d be easy to get carried away and blast up this. But you’ll be going up, up, up for another 2 kilometres or so.
Overcook the climb at Greding, and your legs won’t forgive you by the time you get to the marathon.
Aero is still everything
Despite all those climbs, you’ll still want to focus on staying aero as much as possible on the bike course at Challenge Roth. The super smooth road surfaces mean you can make up some serious time on the flatter sections if you’re dialled into your aero position.
And what goes up, must come down. So being confident on the downhills will help you to get that average speed ticking upwards.
Hotspots and aid stations
The course might be tough, but the crowds are second to none. Part of what makes Challenge Roth so special is the incredible support and atmosphere – there’s no race quite like it. And that makes every metre of climbing feel a little easier. There’s a total of 10 hot spots on the two loop course. So if the going gets tough, rest assured you’ll never be far away from another round of cheering spectators to boost your motivation. Here are some of the hot spot highlights to look forward to on race day.
Eckersmühlen Pyraser Biermeile: ~5km and ~90km
Early on in the loop you’ll reach the first hot spot at Eckersmühlen. Part of the Roth tradition, this is the oldest hot spot on course. Commentators will welcome athletes by name as they ride by, making you feel like a PRO. And spectators can enjoy music, grilled sausages and beer as they wait to cheer the athletes on.
Heideck: ~15km and ~100km
Next up is Heideck, where the whole town comes out in force to line the streets and cheer the athletes on. The Red Bull truck here will also have a commentator providing race updates. Listen carefully as you ride through if you want to find out what’s happening up the road in the PRO race!
Gredinger Kalvarienberg: ~40km and ~120km
Challenge Roth call Greding the ‘hill of pain’. So you’ll be glad to know there’s a fantastic supporter hot spot here to give you the energy boost you need to take on the elevation. Commentators are on hand to hype up the crowds, with live music and a party vibe adding to the atmosphere. You’ll definitely appreciate the distraction when you reach the climb for the second time around!
Solar Hill: ~70km and ~155km
Of course, the most famous hot spot on the Challenge Roth bike course is Solar Hill. Get ready to feel like a PRO cyclist leading the Tour de France as you head into Hipoltstein. Crowds several people deep line both sides of the street, creating a corridor of fans urging you on as you make your way up the climb.
Embrace the chaos and soak up all the energy. This is a once in a lifetime race experience you’ll remember forever! After experiencing it for myself, I can honestly say this is a true goosebumps on your arms tears in your eyes experience. Even with the rain we had in 2024, the crowds were out in force. It’s a race experience I’ll never forget!
Alongside the 10 hot spots, you’ve also got aid stations approximately every 17.5km.
Challenge Roth bike course records
Feeling fast? You’ll need to pick up some serious speed to contend with the current bike course records. 2024 brought wet conditions which meant, despite both the men’s and women’s overall course records being broken – the bike course records set in 2023 still stand.
Daniela Ryf completed the 180km bike course in 2023 in 04:22:56. That powerhouse performance helped her to take a staggering 10 minutes off Chrissie Wellington’s previous course record which had stood for 12 years. Ryf’s finish time was 08:08:21.
The men’s bike course record is currently held by Magnus Ditlev, with his rapid 3:57:45 split set at the 2023 edition of Challenge Roth. The Great Dane returned in 2024 and bested his own 2023 course record with his overall finish time, but rainy conditions meant his bike split was just a hair slower.
All eyes on Roth on Sunday 6 July 2025 to see if these records will tumble!
If you’re racing Challenge Roth this year, or looking to get on the start list for next year. There’s plenty of excitement in store on the bike course, but being prepared is key. If getting out to Roth early enough to do a full recce isn’t feasible. It’s well worth jumping on the indoor bike trainer and riding the virtual version of the route on ROUVY to get familiar with the course so you’ll have a good idea of how to pace yourself for success on race day.
