Jessica Ittner Triumphs in Roth

Roth (July 5, 2026). Just one week after her Ironman in Frankfurt—which was shortened to a 3.8-kilometer swim, 125-kilometer bike ride, and 21.1-kilometer run due to the ongoing heat wave—Jessica Ittner, a design engineer in rear-seat development in Coburg, took to the starting line once again at Challenge Roth. With many uncertainties regarding her recovery but great anticipation, she took on the next challenge: a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-kilometer bike ride, and 42.2-kilometer run.

During the swim in the warm Main-Danube Canal, which was held without wetsuits, Ittner took a blow to the nose. Although she emerged from the water in 1:12:54—slightly slower than hoped—she immediately shifted her focus to the remaining disciplines.

On the bike, her race began with a minor setback: a water bottle fell off during a bumpy section and had to be retrieved. Afterward, however, the triathlete quickly found her rhythm and even maintained higher wattage than planned over long stretches. The legendary Solarer Berg, in particular, with its thousands of spectators, once again provided an emotional highlight.

Despite increasing winds on the second lap, Ittner remained strong and reached the second transition zone in 4:58:51 hours. There, the next surprise awaited her: Her water bottle had leaked, so she had to tackle the marathon without the planned extra nutrition.

She didn’t let that throw her off, though. On the running course, she steadily worked her way up the field. While her supporters struggled to follow the race via the Challenge app, Ittner received word along the way that her gap to the leader had shrunk from seven to just under two minutes.

Driven on by her family, friends, and the numerous spectators lining the course, she ran a strong marathon in 3:01:42.

Amid loud cheers, Ittner finally crossed the finish line in the stadium and celebrated her extraordinary achievement. With a total time of 9:17:06 hours, she was the top woman across all age groups and also the second-fastest German in the “amateur” field. In doing so, she even left nine of the 20 professional female athletes who started behind her.

The highlight for October is already set: the Ironman competition in Portugal. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!