Mana athletes Joe Skipper and Henri Schoeman lined up to race Challenge Roth on July 6, with both marking milestones at the legendary and hugely popular triathlon. Skipper returned to the German town for the first time since 2023, while Schoeman made his debut over the full distance: 3.8 kilometres swimming, 180 kilometres cycling, and 42 kilometres running.
After rising summer heat raised the swim course water temperature, great swimmers like Schoeman took advantage of the non-wetsuit swim leg with superior technique taking him to the front of the field. He then rode in the Top 10 through the first half of the cycle leg, and hopped off his bike in 20th place. The concluding marathon was a challenge, but the South African soldiered on to finish 44th and take on learnings for his next attempt at the distance.
For Skipper it was his third race and third full distance starting line of the year, after having started Ironman Austria last month and winning silver at Ironman New Zealand back in March. The British champion found himself 10 minutes in arrears after the swim, but backed himself to ride up into 28th by the bike-to-run transition. He continued to pick away at places throughout the run to finish 14th, stopping the clock in 7:55:28.
Mana talent management goes beyond athlete promotion, using strong relationships and thoughtful planning to help athletes reach their full potential on and off the race course. By brokering start lines at iconic events like Challenge Roth, Mana ensures its athletes like Skipper and Schoeman gain exposure on their sport’s biggest stages, test themselves against elite competition, and build their profiles in front of global audiences.
