We Noticed: Sailfish Night of the Year Celebrates Roth (Yet Again), Ultraman Worlds, South American 70.3s and a New Tri in the Big Apple

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

The Sailfish Night of the Year is held every year in Langen, Germany (near Frankfurt), and is, according to the organizers, “the grand finale of the triathlon season … created to offer athletes, fans, and partners a shared evening full of emotions, encounters, and reflections.” (The folks at the PTO might argue that, with an event like the Qatar T100 Triathlon World Championship Final still on the calendar, the gala might not be the season grand finale, but who are we to judge.) The highlight of the night is the various awards, and, as is the norm, Challenge Roth featured heavily on that front. For the 14th year in a row the event was named the “best race of the year,” taking 51% of the vote ahead of the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona (18%) and Nice (11%).

Photo: TeamChallenge

The other highlight for Challenge Roth was the announcement that Alice Walchshöfer was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. Alice, along with her two children Felix and Kathrin, has been running Challenge Roth since 2001. She was presented the award by Anne Haug, who won Challenge Roth three times during her illustrious career.

The Roth event is certainly unique. The huge crowds – both in terms of spectators and athletes in the race – are unmatched at any other full-distance event. Slowtwitch was on hand for this year’s race – here’s a photo gallery I put together:

Other award winners from the evening included, on the international front, Solveig Lovseth, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kat Matthews, while Casper Stornes, Kristian Blummenfelt and Hayden Wilde were recognized for the men. The German triathletes of the year were Laura Philipp and Jonas Schomburg.

South American IRONMAN 70.3-fest

There were three different 70.3 races in South America on the weekend. Two of those had pro fields, and the one that was, in theory, an age-group race featured none-other than IRONMAN Pro Series champ Kristian Blummenfelt.

The Norwegian star was at IRONMAN 70.3 Cartagena and, surprise of all surprises, easily topped the field with his 3:44:07 finish time. (Although there were three relay teams that managed to best that time – Team Shokz Colombia finished in 3:42:10.) The fastest woman in the race was Lina Maria Raga Prieto, who won the 35 to 39 category in 4:37:37.

Chile’s IRONMAN 70.3 Valdivia did feature a pro field, with home-country hero Diego Moya taking the men’s race in 3:35:30 ahead of Argentina’s Luciano Taccone (3:36:13) and American Colin Szuch (3:37:14). Aussie Josh Amberger, who is gearing up for next weekend’s Patagonman Xtri race, took fifth place (3:41:25).

On the women’s side of things in Valdivia, Argentine Remina Biagioli took the win in 4:08:10 ahead of France’s Nikita Paskiewiez (4:09:10) and Chile’s four-time Olympic legend, Barbara Riveros (4:11:04).

The third South American event this weekend was IRONMAN 70.3 Aracaju-Sergipe in Brazil. The all-Brazilian pro women’s field there saw Vittoria Lopes lead from start to finish as the Paris Olympian cruised to the win in 4:13:04. Pietra Meneghini was second in 4:34:04, with Mikelle Coelho rounding out the podium in 4:36:52.

Brazil’s Fernando Toldi took the men’s title in 3:48:14 ahead of Portugal’s Filipe Azevedo (3:50:25) and South Africa’s Dylan Nortje (3:52:11).

Ultraman World Championship

There were 20 athletes racing on the Big Island this weekend at the Ultraman World Championship. The three-day event includes a 6.2-mile (10-km) swim and a 90-mile (144.8-km) bike on Friday, followed by a 171.4-mile (276-km) bike ride on Saturday and a double-marathon (52.4 miles/ 82.4 km) on Sunday.

Russian-born Max Kniazeu won the men’s race in a total time of 21:27:36, well ahead of 2024 champ Juan Bautista Castilla (Chamba), who finished in 23:31:37. Japan’s Terumasa Matsuda took third in 23:54:54, making up 13 minutes on Chamba during the final run. Kniazeu’s 7:09:12 split on Day 2’s bike was a new course record.

American Kenna Supkis was the top woman in the race in a time of 29:24:25, just 19 minutes ahead of Mexico’s Ana Gallardo Avila (29:43:44). Third went to Jennifer Almee Tan Uy (34:00:05), who is reportedly the first Filipino to compete at the Ultraman World Championship. You can see the full results below.

Big Apple Triathlon … in October?

Alpha Win, the company formerly know as HITS Endurance, has just announced a new event in, are you ready for this, New York City. The Big Apple Triathlon, slated for October 10, 2026, “will take athletes through one of the most iconic courses in triathlon: a swim in the Hudson River, a bike ride along the Henry Hudson Parkway, and a run through Central Park to the finish line,” according to a release from the company.

Some background on HITS Endurance/ Alpha Win: it was started in 2011 by Tom Struzzieri, who was the founder of HITS, a horse show jumping production company. Struzzieri put on the first HITS Triathlon in La Quinta, California, offering five different race distances including a full, half, Olympic, sprint and open (100 m swim/ three-mile bike/ one-mile run). The series is now organized by Struzzieri’s son Tommy. The Alpha Win calendar for this year included races in Sarasota, Florida; Napa Valley (two races) and June Lake, California; along with Bolton Landing, Hudson Valley, Lake George and Saugerties, New York.

If the Big Apple course sounds familiar, it’s because it is – the New York City Triathlon that also featured a swim in the Hudson and a finish in Central Park, was started by John Korff in 2001. At its peak, in 2010, there were about 4,000 competitors in the race. Korff sold the race to Life Time in 2013, and the event was sold to Supertri in 2023. When Supertri cancelled the 2024 race, they offered the following explanation:

“The event has historically been scheduled in the summer, but weather has impacted, modified, or fully canceled the event 8 times since 2014. In 2023, we were able to move the date into the Fall, but unfortunately there are no available dates for the event in Fall of 2024. Our commitment to delivering an unparalleled athlete experience remains unwavering, and rather than compromise on the quality of the event and the safety of our athletes, we have decided to forgo the 2024 New York City Triathlon due to the availability of viable event dates. The New York City Triathlon has always been about more than just a race – it’s about a shared passion for the sport and a commitment to excellence.”

The 2023 race did take place in October, although the swim had to be cancelled due to water quality concerns that year.

In case you, like me, figured the water would be way too cold in October, according to statistics from hudsonriverpark.org, the temperature should be in the 60s (Fahrenheit).

“As athletes and New Yorkers ourselves, we are working to curate a race that ensures every participant has a safe, fun experience while discovering New York City in a whole new way,” Tommy Struzzieri said.“We couldn’t be more excited to bring this world-class race to our hometown.”

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