Challenge Roth 2027: date, course and training plan

226 km · swim 3.8 · bike 180 · run 42.2Roth2027 edition: 4 July 2027

DATEV Challenge Roth is a long-distance triathlon raced since 1984 around Roth, in Franconia (Bavaria): a 3.8 km swim in the Main-Danube canal at Hilpoltstein, 180 km of riding in two loops including the Solarer Berg climb, then a marathon finishing in the Roth triathlon stadium. About 7,500 volunteers run the race. The next edition is on Sunday 4 July 2027; the 2026 race was held on 5 July.

A demanding distance: it is wiser to have finished a shorter race of the same kind first.

Your plan for Challenge Roth

35 weeks to go: your plan starts this week, set to your level and free days, then adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your level?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Challenge Roth at a glance

Date
2027 edition: 4 July 2027
Formats
IndividuelPlan below — 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike in two loops, 42.195 km run. 6:30 am start in 2026, in waves. 2026 cut-offs: 2h05 for the swim, 9h10 to finish the bike, 15 hours to finish; marathon start by 5:30 pm at the latest. Aged 18 and over. 2027 fee through the draw: €779.
Relais — A team of three (or two): swimmer, cyclist, runner; the swimmer can be 14. 2026 cut-offs: 2h05, 8h25 and 13h50. 2027 fee through the draw: €879.
Registration
Online registration for 2027 opened on 13 July 2026 and is sold out. The Late Entry Draw remains: a ticket costs €10, €5 of which goes to local charities, and you can buy as many as you like until Monday 9 November 2026 at 11:59 pm. The draw is on Wednesday 11 November 2026, with at least 400 individual places and 25 relay places; winners are entered automatically and charged €779 (€879 for a relay). Places are not transferable. You need a licence from your national federation or a one-day licence (€35 in 2026). The official travel partner also sells packages that include an entry.
Official website
challenge-roth.com/en

The 2026 course

Start at 6:30 am, in waves, from the Lände at Hilpoltstein: 3.8 km in the Main-Danube canal, starting and finishing at the same spot, where the first transition is. The bike does two loops through the Roth district, via the Solarer Berg at Hilpoltstein, with an aid station about every 17.5 km; the second transition is in Roth. The marathon follows the canal, crosses Roth market square and Büchenbach, then finishes in the Roth triathlon stadium.

What the race asks of your training

Two bike loops, and the Solarer Berg

The bike leg does two laps of the Roth district, through rolling countryside, including the Solarer Berg at Hilpoltstein, where the crowd pushes you to surge. Better to climb it at your planned pace: the race is decided on the marathon. Long rides should be done on rolling terrain at a steady pace. Drafting is banned: 12 m between bikes.

A canal swim, in waves

Calm fresh water in the Main-Danube canal, with wave starts from 6:30 am. The temperature is measured one hour before the start: depending on the reading, wetsuits are banned, allowed or mandatory. Neoprene gloves and socks are banned. Practising swimming in a group and sighting in open water helps you make the most of flat water.

An afternoon marathon in early July

The marathon is run in the afternoon, in the heat of a July day, with an aid station about every 1.5 km. Long rides followed by a run in the heat of the day, and the habit of drinking at every aid station, prepare you for it. Cut-offs to watch: km 12 by 7:07 pm and km 30 by 9:25 pm.

After the draw, 34 weeks

Between the draw on 11 November 2026 and the race on 4 July 2027, there are just under 34 weeks: enough to build base endurance over winter, then long rides and bricks in spring, before a taper in late June.

The plan below prepares the Individuel format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 7 days available per week, with race day on 4 July 2027. Aiming for another format? Enter its distance when you create your plan, which will be calibrated on your level, your available days and your feedback after every session.

weeks
25
sessions
173
sessions / week
7
peak week
14.1 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

  1. General preparation
    Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
  2. Base
    Weeks 3–10 · 8 wk
  3. Build
    Weeks 11–16 · 6 wk
  4. Specific
    Weeks 17–21 · 5 wk
  5. Taper
    Weeks 22–24 · 3 wk
  6. Race week
    Weeks 25–25 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

WkPhaseHourskm
1General preparation
8.8 h
30
2General preparation
9.1 h
32
3Base
9.9 h
29
4Base
10.2 h
30
5Base
10.5 h
31
6Baserecovery
8.5 h
24
7Base
10.7 h
32
8Base
11 h
33
9Base
11.3 h
34
10Baserecovery
9.1 h
26
11Build
11.7 h
35
12Build
12 h
36
13Build
12.2 h
36
14Buildrecovery
9.7 h
30
15Build
12.4 h
37
16Build
12.6 h
37
17Specific
13.3 h
39
18Specificrecovery
10.4 h
31
19Specific
13.4 h
39
20Specific
13.7 h
40
21Specific
14.1 h
41
22Taper
10.3 h
37
23Taper
8.7 h
30
24Taper
7.4 h
25
25Race week
4.1 h
8

Sample week — week 15 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

  • TuesdayRunningVery hard
    3 × 1.2 km at MAS
    2 min 30 s jog recovery
    48 min · 8.8 km
  • TuesdaySwimmingEasy
    1 h 14 continuous swim
    1 h 14 · 3.4 km
  • WednesdayCyclingEasy
    30 min at endurance pace
    30 min
  • ThursdayBrickHard
    1 h 34 bike + 24 min run
    including 3 × 10 min at threshold on the bike
    2 h 06
  • FridaySwimmingHard
    9 × 300 m at threshold
    20 s recovery
    1 h 12 · 3.5 km
  • SaturdayCyclingEasy
    4 h 23 at endurance pace
    4 h 23
  • SundayRunningEasy
    Long run 2 h 11
    2 h 11 · 21.2 km

Example generated for a intermediate-level profile (MAS 15 km/h, 7 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass

A 25-week build (recommended minimum: 16); a longest run never more than 4% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 8% from one week to the next; 85% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 4 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 71% in race week.

4 worth knowing · 21 checks passed

Remarks

  • Lighter weeks — 5 loading weeks in a row without a lighter week (up to week 5).

  • Long run after the long ride — The long run falls the day after the long ride in 9 weeks.

  • Strength training — No strength session.

  • Fueling — Long sessions (up to 300 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 21 checks passed, in detail
  • Length of the build — 25 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 16).

  • Sessions per week — 7 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.

  • Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 8% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).

  • Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 4% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).

  • Intensity distribution — About 85% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.

  • Demanding sessions — No more than 3 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.

  • Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.

  • Rest days — At least one rest day a week.

  • Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 4 weeks before the race: the right time.

  • Bike-run bricks — 9 bike-run bricks over the last 12 weeks.

  • Taper — Volume drops 71% in race week.

  • Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.

  • Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (86%).

  • Swim / bike / run balance — Swim 19%, bike 53%, run 28%: within coaches’ benchmarks.

  • Frequency per discipline — Each discipline comes back at least 2 times a week.

  • Sessions per week — 7 sessions a week: enough for a long format.

  • Open water — 5 open-water session(s) before the race.

  • Longest ride — The longest ride lasts 300 min (benchmark: 300 to 390 min).

  • Longest run — The longest run lasts 150 min (benchmark: 120 to 180 min).

  • Swim distance — The longest swim covers 92% of the race distance.

  • Long ride increase — The long ride grows in small steps.

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

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The full week-by-week table and the sample week, in your inbox. No account needed.

Why this plan works

Science-based periodisation

Base → build → specific → taper, with a recovery week every 3 to 4 weeks. Load goes up, but never two hard weeks in a row without a breather.

Paces, not vague feelings

Every session has target zones (pace, HR) computed from your MAS or a reference performance. A MAS test is built into the plan if you don't know yours.

Three disciplines, one load

Swim, bike and run are planned together: brick sessions, key sessions spread out, and a coherent total load week after week.

A plan that listens

After each session you rate how it felt (RPE). Too hard? The plan eases what follows. Skipped a session? It reschedules or absorbs it.

On your watch

On Garmin with the Endu app, on COROS by direct sync: the guided workout shows up on your wrist, step by step.

Reviews

What our users say.

4.8/5

  • “For triathlon, having all three sports in the same schedule really makes my life easier. I spend less time organising my training and I still enjoy following it just as much.”

    Maxime · Triathlon

  • “At first I just wanted to try it. Now checking the next day’s session has become my little evening ritual 😊”

    Sarah · Triathlon

  • “I used to spend more time looking for a plan than following one. Now I have my sessions, I know what to do and I stick to it. Really glad I tried it.”

    Thomas · Running

  • “Training for my first half marathon and honestly, I’m getting into it! I even look at my next sessions ahead of time, when before I was mostly looking for an excuse not to go out 😂”

    Camille · Running

  • “Simple to follow and really handy with the watch. I start my session and off I go.”

    Julien · Running

  • “I took Endu to prepare a trail race with friends. I really like having my week already organised: it motivates me and I enjoy my runs more.”

    Émilie · Trail

  • “What I like is no longer asking myself a thousand questions before going for a run. I follow the plan and I enjoy training.”

    Nicolas · Trail

  • “With work and the kids, I thought I’d struggle to follow a plan. In the end, having a structure helps me a lot. Running has found a real place in my week again, and it feels good!”

    Julie · Trail

  • “A good find to prepare my swimrun! It’s nice to find a plan for this sport. I’ve recommended it to my teammate.”

    Antoine · Swimrun

  • “I run more regularly and, above all, with more desire. For that alone, I’m delighted.”

    Laura · Swimrun

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at intermediate level with 7 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for Challenge Roth

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Frequently asked questions

When is Challenge Roth 2027?
On Sunday 4 July 2027, according to the official website. The 2026 edition was held on 5 July.
Can you still enter Challenge Roth 2027?
Only through the draw: €10 tickets until 9 November 2026 at 11:59 pm, draw on 11 November, at least 400 individual and 25 relay places. Online registration on 13 July 2026 is sold out.
What are the Challenge Roth cut-offs?
In 2026: 2h05 for the swim, 9h10 for swim and bike, marathon start by 5:30 pm, km 12 by 7:07 pm, km 30 by 9:25 pm, and 15 hours at most to finish, counted from your own start.
Do you need a licence to race in Roth?
Yes: a licence from your national triathlon federation, or a one-day licence, €35 in 2026, bought when entering or at bib pick-up. Relay members do not need one.
Challenge Roth: how many weeks of preparation?
For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 25-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.
Is this plan well built?
Pass at Endu’s plan check, the same as for any plan: 21 of 21 checks passed. A 25-week build (recommended minimum: 16); a longest run never more than 4% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 8% from one week to the next; 85% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 4 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 71% in race week. The rules and their sources are public on endu.fr/en/controle-technique.
How many sessions per week?
This example has 7 sessions per week. You choose 6 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.
I'm a beginner, is this plan for me?
Not as a first long race: if you declare a beginner level, Endu flags it. Aim for a shorter race of the same kind first; Endu builds that preparation too.
Can I follow sessions on my watch?
Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.
How much does it cost?
14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Checked on 17 October 2026 on the organiser's websites. Details can change: the official website prevails.

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