Missed out on the Challenge Roth online entries? Alternative ways to get on the Challenge Roth start list

Whenever I try to explain the popularity of Challenge Roth to any of my non-triathlon friends here in the UK, I often compare trying to get a spot on the start line at Roth to trying to get a Glastonbury Festival ticket. But actually, turns out getting into Roth is significantly more difficult. Because in 2025 (according to the BBC) Glastonbury sold out in under 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Challenge Roth 2026 entries sold out in less than 30 seconds. Wild!

But if you’re one of many super disappointed would-be Roth starters, the good news is there are still a few options to explore. Let’s take a look at the various ways you could still get yourself on the Challenge Roth start line.

November late entry draw

The first option is to enter the late entry draw. Felix and the Challenge Roth team have promised that there’ll be at least 300 spaces available for individuals, plus a minimum of 25 further slots for relay teams. And in reality, it could be significantly more depending on how many of the initial slots allocated in the online entry are not up taken or were duplicate entries. In 2024, there were 600 more slots for individuals in the late entry draw.

To enter the November draw, you have to buy a lottery ticket of sorts. This costs 10 euros. 50% of that goes to charity, and the other 50% covers platform fees. You can buy as many tickets as you like, but you can only get one place in the draw. You can enter the late entry from 14 July 2025 up until 11.59pm on 2 November 2025. The draw takes place on November 4 and if you’re successful, you’ll receive an email notification and the entry fee will automatically be debited from your account.

It’s worth noting that you can only get a place for yourself in the late entry draw – you can’t buy a ticket and gift the place to a friend. So only enter if you’re serious about getting on the start line next year.

Enter certain other Challenge Family races to get a guaranteed Roth entry

Eagle-eyed social media viewers might have noticed that Challenge Family mentioned on a post just after Roth 2026 entries sold out that you may be in with a chance of securing a Roth 2026 entry as a perk of entering other select Challenge Family races.

At the time of writing, the details of which races have not been revealed. But the new Challenge Quebec long distance race for 2026 for example, has an early bird offer where the first 200 registrants would also be able to purchase a guaranteed entry for Challenge Roth in 2027.

Challenge have stated they’ll be sharing more details in their upcoming email newsletters, so it’s worth subscribing to be in the loop.

Book with Tri Travel

Similar to some of the tour operator packages for the Marathon Majors. If you’re willing to spend a bit extra to get to the start line, you can get a guaranteed Roth entry by booking with Tri Travel. There are 5- and 7-night packages to choose from, which gets you a race entry, plus airport transfers, hotel accommodation, transport to and from the race venue (on race day and for things like registration and bike check-in), guided course recces and tour merchandise. The cost will vary depending on your hotel choice, but for reference a 7-night trip starts at around £1600 per person, plus the cost of the race entry (and you’d need to book your own flights to Germany). Several athletes on the Challenge Roth Community Facebook groups have shared positive experiences of getting to the race using the tour operator avenue, so if it fits your budget then it’s certainly worth exploring!

Apply for a slot with the American Cancer Society DATEV Challenge Roth 2026 Charity Partnership

The American Cancer Society (ACS) work with major events, such as Escape from Alcatraz and in 2026 – Challenge Roth – to provide athletes who have in some way been affected by cancer and have a passion for doing something to raise awareness and cancer research funds, the opportunity to get on coveted start lines.

Bob Duncan from ACS has been in touch to let us know they have 20 slots available for 2026. Athletes will have to meet minimum fundraising targets, but will benefit from extensive training support and help with their fundraising efforts. If you’re interested in applying you can fill out the form here.

Keep an eye out for social media competitions

Finally, you can keep a look out on social media for competitions with Challenge Roth brand partners for a chance to win a slot. Obviously there’s no guarantee – but you never know, if your luck was out for the online entries, it might be IN for a social competition. Currently I’ve spotted one with AG1 DE on their Instagram account (which closes tonight – 15.07.25!) , but it’s likely there’ll be others over the coming months.

Get in for 2027

None of the above feasible? You could always head out to spectate at Challenge Roth 2026 and then line up in person the day after the race. I’ve raced Roth once and spectated twice, and I can confirm it’s just as fun on the other side of the fence. Head down to the pool in Roth the Friday before race day and chances are you’ll be sharing a lane with some of the top PROs – which is very cool, if a little humbling. Spend hours walking around the expo without worrying about how much time you’re spending on your feet. And be part of the Solarerberg party come race day. Being a spectator in Roth is as much of a bucket list experience as racing it. But don’t party too hard – you’ll need to rise and shine the day after the race to get in the queue early. It gets longer every year, so being in line at 9am is no guarantee of getting a place.