Alanis Siffert entre dans l’histoire du DATEV Challenge Roth – Une journée que je n’oublierai jamais

Just a few minutes before the start, Kathrin Walchshöfer looked at me with a smile and simply said:

« Fliege heute, okay? » (« Fly today, oka ? »)

At that moment, I had no idea how much those few words would stay with me.

Throughout the entire race, they kept coming back to me. Again and again.

And somehow… that’s exactly how I felt.

I still don’t think I have fully processed what happened on Sunday.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of experiencing moments like this. But even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would win the DATEV Challenge Roth at just 24 years old.

Throughout the race, I had a very special feeling. I felt like I was flying.

The atmosphere in Roth is simply indescribable. Everywhere you go, thousands of people are cheering you on, shouting your name, making you feel capable of things you never thought possible. Their energy carried me from the very first kilometre all the way to the finish line.

What struck me the most was that I was never locked into my own race. Quite the opposite. I found myself looking at the spectators – their faces, their smiles, their eyes filled with passion. Seeing them give everything they had just to support us was deeply moving. Their energy, enthusiasm, and love for this sport were simply transcendent. I wanted to soak up every single second of that unique atmosphere because I knew just how precious those moments were.

I came out of the water in third place after a 52:03 swim, only 1 minute and 40 seconds behind Lucy Charles-Barclay, the first athlete out of the water and widely regarded as one of the greatest swimmers in the history of triathlon. That strong swim put me in the perfect position right from the start of the race. After a first transition (T1) of 1:51, I got onto the bike feeling good.

On the bike, I knew I had to play my cards if I wanted even the slightest chance. So I didn’t overthink it – I simply decided to go for it. Quite early, around kilometre 20, I passed Lucy Charles-Barclay to take the lead. It was obviously a special moment, but I immediately refocused on myself. There were still so many kilometres to go, and anything could still happen.

I could see I was riding very fast and producing high power numbers. Very quickly, I changed the display on my bike computer so I could no longer see them. Looking at those numbers might have planted doubts in my mind and made me think I had started too hard. From that moment on, I listened only to my body. I felt good, so I decided to trust my sensations. I knew how much work Brett and I had put in over the past few months, and I knew what my legs were capable of. There was nothing left to calculate – only to keep moving forward.

The kilometres went by, my legs kept feeling great, and without ever giving up the lead, I completed the 180 km bike leg in 4:29:19, still at the front of the race. Even then, I never thought about the final result. After a second transition (T2) of just 58 seconds, I was already out on the marathon.

Then came the marathon.

The first time I looked at my watch, I thought to myself that I had probably started too fast.

Then I simply said to myself:

“You feel good… so why slow down?”

From that moment on, I never looked at my watch again.

I simply trusted myself. I trusted my body, all the work I had done over the past few months, and everything my body was telling me.

Before the start, I had set myself just one goal: to give absolutely everything I had, but above all, to enjoy every single moment. To embrace the incredible atmosphere, savour the day, and enjoy every kilometre from start to finish. That’s exactly what I did.

I kept expecting Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kat Matthews to come back at any moment. Yet the kilometres passed, and instead of shrinking, my lead kept growing: one minute thirty, then two minutes, then three. It wasn’t until the 20-kilometre mark of the marathon that I allowed myself one single thought:

“You’re leading the race… you have a chance to win this. Now fight for it.”

Then I immediately let that thought go. I immersed myself back into my race, carried by the crowd and by that extraordinary feeling that had been with me since the beginning of the day.

Looking back, I think that was the key. I never allowed doubt to creep in. I never stopped believing it was possible. Deep down, I knew my legs would hold because I knew everything I had done to be ready for that day. Over the final ten kilometres, I had just one mission: give absolutely everything I had until the finish line.

In the end, I completed the 42.195 km marathon in 2:45:00, never once stopping believing in myself.

It wasn’t until the very end of the race that everything truly sank in.

As I entered Roth, I could hear the thousands of spectators. Then, as I ran into a packed stadium, I heard the announcer calling my name as I approached the finish.

At that exact moment, everything became real.

With the biggest smile on my face, tears started rolling down my cheeks before I had even crossed the finish line.

“I did it… I won the DATEV Challenge Roth.”

I think time stood still for a few seconds.

I had never experienced such overwhelming emotions. I had the biggest smile of my life, tears in my eyes, and a happiness that words simply cannot describe. Crossing that finish line will probably remain one of the most beautiful memories of my entire life. Felix and Kathrin embraced me, and for a few moments I still couldn’t fully believe what had just happened.

The very next thing I did was look for my parents. I simply wanted to hug them and thank them. Because I already knew this victory wasn’t mine alone.

By winning the 2026 edition in 8:09:09, I became the youngest winner in the history of the Challenge Roth, a legendary race that many consider to be the ”Wimbledon of triathlon.”

But this victory is not mine alone.

Behind that finish line lie thousands of hours of training, countless sacrifices, endless kilometres, and above all, the people who believed in this dream just as much as I did. This victory is the result of a collective effort. Without them, I would never have become the athlete – or the person – I am today.

Thank you, Brett Sutton. Thank you for teaching me that, above all else, you have to believe in yourself. Thank you for your trust, your high standards, and for giving me the tools I needed to improve every single day. You guided me, showed me the way, and helped me become the very best version of myself.

Thank you to my parents. Ever since I was a child, you have done everything possible to allow me to pursue my passion. You woke up at five o’clock in the morning to take me to swimming practice, picked me up late at night, travelled everywhere with me, supported every decision I made, and always encouraged me to chase my dreams without ever trying to limit them. You taught me to live with passion, to work hard, to believe in my dreams, and never to be afraid of thinking big. This victory belongs just as much to you as it does to me.

Thank you to my brother. You have always been an example to me. No matter the challenges, you never believed anything was impossible. You taught me to believe in myself, to pursue my dreams with conviction, and to always look for solutions rather than excuses. Thank you as well for the incredible work you do on my bikes. Knowing I can rely on your attention to detail and your commitment to perfection before every race gives me tremendous confidence.

Thank you, Max. Thank you for being by my side every single day. More than anyone else, you know what it takes to reach the highest level. Thank you for believing in me, for sharing this journey with me, for always finding the right words, and for supporting me through every step of this adventure. Having someone who understands this passion so deeply is an incredible gift.

A very special thank you also goes to my host family in Hilpoltstein – Nicole, Ingo, Florian, and Caroline - who welcomed my parents and me for the second consecutive year. Thank you for making us feel at home every time we come to Roth. Your kindness, generosity, and all the moments we have shared make this week even more special.

Thank you to all my family and friends. I know how closely you follow my journey and celebrate every success with me. Your presence, encouragement, and confidence mean more to me than words can express. Thank you for being part of this adventure and for sharing these unforgettable moments with me.

Thank you to all my partners and sponsors. Some of you have believed in me since the very beginning, long before the major results came. You believed in my project when it was still just a dream. Thanks to your trust, I am able to live this incredible journey to the fullest and continue pushing my limits. This victory is yours too.

Finally, thank you to everyone who was in Roth. You literally carried me throughout the entire day. And thank you as well to everyone who followed the race from Switzerland and around the world, to those who sent messages and shared their emotions with me.

Whenever I think back to this day, one sentence keeps coming back to me:

“Fly today, okay?”

Yes… on Sunday, I truly felt like I was flying.

And while this victory is the realization of a lifelong dream, above all it taught me one thing.

When you truly believe in your dreams, surround yourself with the right people, work with passion, enjoy what you do, and dare to trust yourself… sometimes, it is possible to fly.

This is not the end.

It is the beginning of a new chapter.

And above all…

This is only the beginning.