Fred Funk admits he is taking a step into the unknown this weekend as he makes an emotional return to Challenge Roth for his first-ever full-distance triathlon.
The 27-year-old German has fond memories of the iconic Bavaria course, having first competed in the junior section at the age of just five – and finishing in an incredible third place.
This weekend, however, promises to be very different as the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship runner-up prepares to go the extra mile in what will be his debut attempt at competing in the sport’s ultimate format.
Regarded as the ‘Home of Triathlon’, the Challenge Roth course starts with a 3.86km swim in the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, before moving onto a 178.5km bike ride around a two-lap course in the countryside south of Roth, and finishing with the marathon into central Roth.
And it is that final transition, which is giving Funk the most to think about as he considers the impact on his body of swimming farther, cycling harder and running for longer than ever before.
Marathon question for Funk
Speaking to TRI247 at Challenge The Championship in May (watch the full interview below) Funk said, “I’m not worried about the swim or the bike.”
“But then having to do a marathon in the back end? That could go really well, or it can go pretty quickly in the wrong direction, and I think that is this kind of unknown which makes it so exciting.”
Preparing for the step up to full-distance while he continues to compete in IRONMAN 70.3 and T100 events has posed its problems, with Funk and his experienced coach Dan Lorang deciding, in the end, not to do a great deal differently.
“In terms of training, we haven’t changed a lot, because the focus this year is still a lot on IRONMAN 70.3 or T100,” he confirmed. “So we are kind of trying to do my first full distance race as good as possible, but with the training I was doing until now, so as to not have too many changes.
“I’m still really focusing on the Roth. This will be my highlight for the first part of the season. Everything I am doing is building up for that race in July, and yeah, it’s definitely an exciting journey. It feels funny to feel like a beginner again and having no idea what to do and what to experience in the race, but I’m looking forward to it.”
So what is he expecting? Has he done his homework?
What about the course?
“Yeah, I think this is a top course and it will probably suit me, but I think it’s also a fast course, so hopefully it will be over quickly as well,” he said. “I don’t really know how it is going to feel.
“You hear so many stories about doing the long-distance events, so many different stories as well, and I think it’s also something which is different for everyone. It is all about the unknown.”
A strong field will assemble for the event, with last year’s runner-up, Tom Bishop (GB) wearing bib number 2 behind France’s 2023 IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow wearing no1. Fellow Frenchman and Olympic bronze medalist Vincent Luis will also line up alongside Germany’s Jan Stratmann and Andreas Dreitz.
Five-time African Triathlon Champion and Rio Olympics bronze medalist Henri Schoeman is also set to compete, as is American Matthew Hanson.
Missing from this year’s event, however, is reigning champion and three-time winner Magnus Ditlev, who competed at the IRONMAN Frankfurt last weekend.
