Courtesy: event press release

The uncertainty and rumblings in the triathlon world regarding the dates of Germany's biggest ultra-distance races, Quelle Challenge Roth and Ironman Germany, has been resolved. The second annual Challenge, which as an event is in its 16th year, will be held on July 6, 2003, one week earlier than its traditional date. Additionally, the race has been awarded the German Long-Distance Championship for the next three years.

"We hope that our organizations are past this problem and that we will not have to revisit it," said Herbert Walchshoefer, director, TEAMChallenge, the managing organization for Quelle Challenge Roth. "We're also proud to host the DTU Long Distance Championship, which adds another exciting feature to our Triathlon Festival."

According to German Triathlon Union (DTU) president Dr. med. Klaus Mueller-Ott, awarding Roth the championship event for 2003 through 2005, "is in special appreciation of the standing the county of Roth holds in regards triathlon in Germany."

Earlier this year, without any prior consultation with TEAMChallenge, Ironman Germany organizers announced that their competition would take place on the same weekend as Roth's perennial event, the second Sunday in July. Attempting to push 14 years of history from its spot on the calendar was an uphill battle which was not likely to produce a winner at all. Still, Challenge's challenger pressed on, and a clash was imminent.

In September, Detlef Kuehnel, race director of the former Quelle Ironman Europe, a member of Challenge Roth's board of directors and one of Europe's most recognized and formidable event directors, traveled to Frankfurt on behalf of Quelle Challenge Roth director Herbert Walchshoefer, who was ill at the time. In his meeting with Ironman Germany's Kurt Denk, an attempt to reach an amicable solution and fair scheduling for both events, the Frankfurt team suggested Roth reschedule for sometime in August. Such a change presented conflicts with local holidays and events, and would have brought the favorite race of many top pros too close to the Hawaii race date, a move which would have risked losing their participation. To avoid such problems and possibly a disastrous future, Kuehnel bargained hard, and in the end agreed to host Challenge Roth's Triathlon Festival one week earlier. Frankfurt got the weekend they wanted, and still, Roth organizers saw positive outcomes from a clash they wished to avoid and a scheduling concession they made.

"It is most important to keep our athletes and spectators happy and to maintain the integrity of our organization," said Walchshoefer. "By hosting the race on July 6th, we know that we will still be first on everyone's mind. The Challenge always has and will continue to attract the first-level international athletes, the first-level volunteers, the most media coverage, and the most spectators. We are still racing before Frankfurt, and we are still setting the standard for presentation and quality, and we're now the host of DTU's championship."

After discussions with the city and county of Roth, tourist organizations in the Nuremberg region, German Triathlon Union, and Bavarian Television, Sunday, July 6, 2003 has now been officially set as race day. TEAMChallenge and the regional organizations are confident that the date change will have no impact on the event and local economies. For example, there were very few athletes who started both in Roth and Frankfurt in 2002, and volunteers already plan for the race in early July. As well, the schedule change will not create any new negative impact on Europe's other ultra-distance triathlons.

The July 6th and 13th dates also allow for effective media and sponsors' presentation of ultra-distance triathlon throughout Germany and the rest of the world, and allow the sport's athlete and business communities to move forward.

Quelle Challenge Roth triathlon is Germany's longest-running and most popular ultra-distance triathlon, with as many as 120,000 spectators and 3,000 athletes from more than 30 countries. The race is the fastest course worldwide, and where current world records were set by Paula Newby-Fraser, 8:50:53 (1994), and Luc Van Lierde, 7:50:27 (1997). In 2002, more professionals raced at Roth than at any other ultra-distance race except Hawaii.

Quelle Challenge Roth's sponsors include: Quelle, Deutsche Post AG, N-ERGIE, DB Regio, County of Roth, City of Roth, City of Hilpolstein, Coca-Cola, Arndt, Frankenbrunnen, Zeus Copy, Paladin, Hofmann, Jura Kaelte, Lorenz & Partner, NEFkom, Sparkasse Roth-Schwabach, INKO Energy, Flor & Sohn, Spedition Heinloth, Stadtbrauerei Roth, Mercedes Benz.

For more information on the July 6, 2003 Quelle Challenge Roth and Triathlon Festival, to participate in the on-line forum, and to receive the event's newsletter, please visit www.challengeroth.com.