Can Laura Philipp Shatter the 8-Hour Barrier at Challenge Roth on Sunday?

Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

After her barn-burner of a race at IRONMAN Hamburg last month, all eyes here in Roth are on Laura Philipp with one big question in mind – can she go under eight hours? We caught up with the reigning IRONMAN World Champion at yesterday’s press conference:

Slowtwitch.com: So Laura Philipp, congratulations on an amazing day in Hamburg. How’s the recovery been since then? 

Laura Philipp: First of all, thank you very much. So, to be honest, it was a bit harder than expected because it took me a few days longer (to recover). I think when I planned my season, I thought five weeks between the races is plenty of time. It did take me around two weeks to really digest both mentally and physically the race from Hamburg. So yeah, it took a bit of time to really get back into training and try to make the next step in my development of form over the season. 

Were you surprised at how fast you ended up going? I’m guessing you figured you could go quick, and set a record, but that was a whole new level. 

Yeah, that’s true. I knew the course was fast, but my previous best time there was an 8:18. I was expecting a fast race because it was strong competition. And in order to try to win, I knew we were probably going to push each other. My bike computer didn’t work so I had no clue how fast we were riding, and I obviously also didn’t know my bike time. I also didn’t know my swim time, so the only thing I knew was my run time while I was out there. I obviously saw on my watch that we were running fast and the first time that I saw the final time was at the finish, so I had no idea. No one was telling me “you are close to eight hours.” I think everything I was focused on was running as fast as I can in order to try to win the race. 

I guess ending up with such a fast time just shows that Kat and I really pushed each other … probably also very close to our limits, and that was a really cool experience because it just showed what we are capable of. And I mean, I think everyone who watched the race probably saw that we were playing a bit of cat and mouse during the race. So I guess we can even go faster. 

Laura Phillip of Germany finishes first at IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship on June 1, 2025 in Hamburg, Germany. Photo: Jurij/Getty Images for IRONMAN.

Do you think that not knowing how fast you were going maybe helped?

Yes, I think so, because I never really focus on times at any race. Most of the time the first time I see my actual split is at the finish. So, I’m not sure if it would help to really focus on times and splits in order to achieve a certain time. I’m not even sure if that is possible in a normal race … on a course we are sharing with age groupers. We are so dependent on the conditions of the day – the wind, the weather, whatever. I think it’s really hard to plan something like that, to try to go for a record. I think records happen if a few things will come together. I think it would be helpful to have someone from the outside telling you at certain points where you’re at, but, in the end, I’m mostly really racing to my best ability, so there’s no holding back at any point. I’m not sure if that would actually be helpful, mentally, because I’m always trying my best. So yeah, it’s a tricky question and for sure something that is exciting to see in the future. I get asked the question so often – if I want to try to be the first one here in Roth (to go under eight hours), and, of course, I would love to be the first one, but I’m also well aware of how many things need to come together to in order to go really fast. And I’m not sure if Sunday will be the best day for it. 

If you look into the weather forecast, it’s going to be hot. The water in the canal is already really warm, so it will be a non wetsuit swim, and if you look at my strength and weaknesses, a non wetsuit swim is not the best for going fast for me.

Honestly, my main goal is to try to win here, and if I achieve a fast time or be the first one to go sub eight, that’s awesome. But my main goal is to have a great race and to try to win this race. This is also a super important stepping stone towards Kona, which is my main goal. 

I’m still building. So, I’m not expecting like peak fitness. Hamburg did surprise me fitness wise. But every every race is different, and so much depends on the conditions of the day and how I am feeling on the day. Obviously, in Hamburg, I did feel really good. So hopefully I can repeat it, but maybe it’s also too big of an ask to feel good again. 

So why are you here, if Kona is the is the main end goal? 

You need to race to build fitness, and also to gain experience, to learn some lessons. I think that last year Roth was really important for me in my Nice build up performance wise. Every race I try to target certain goals like pacing and strategy that I set with Philip (her husband and coach Philip Seipp) and try to execute it. We sit down afterwards and go through it. Finishing a long distance race, especially one like this, is also a big motivation boost. To have a course like Roth, with all the spectators and this super amazing atmosphere is super intense, but it’s definitely something that will help you stay motivated and build towards the world champs. 

How big a deal would it be for you to get the win here on Sunday? 

Obviously a super big deal. I’ve been third. I’ve been second (here). I’m desperate to win and I think it would just be a super cool achievement for my career to win here in Roth at one of the biggest races. 

Tags: