Hey guys, Afshan here - I recently came pretty close to being swept away by the fanaticism of cycling spectators that I had only ever seen when sitting on my couch miles away watching livestreams and reruns of Tour de France. Last month, I was among thousands of fans crammed on either side of Solar Hill , a climb that is one of the most anticipated points for the 3,500 triathletes participating in Challenge Roth, the annual long-distance triathlon in Germany. Earlier this week, we released our interview with Felix Walschofer, the director of the race. You can head to that episode from here: EP40: 🏊🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️🚴🏾 Why is Challenge Roth on every triathlete's bucket list? Race Director Felix Walchshofer discusses why this record breaking long-distance triathlon in Germany is among the top three races in the world The crowd on Solar Hill renders the race route almost invisible, parting as cyclists push their pedals to the max, some off their saddle, some sitting and grinding through, to manoeuvre to the top of this climb in the heat of the day. And even before a cyclist can see it , surely they can hear the deafening jumble of cheers, vuvuzelas, 90s music and slogans and screams, preparing them for the fanfare and hero’s welcome ahead. Despite the 180km that needs to be cycled on that day, flanked between a swim and a marathon, I see big smiles and an even bigger drive from everyone - perhaps the energy of the spectators becomes what we cyclists jokingly call the hand of god that keeps you pedalling. Even as someone watching from the sidelines, Solar Hill is a goosebumps moment. And from what we’ve heard from challengers of the 2023 edition of this race, there are many more such pinch me moments on the course. And in this episode, we’ve asked athletes, who come from all over the world, to recount their race experience. You’ll hear from those who have done several such races, those who were egged on by friends to do it as their first, those who did it to try and find balance and those who signed up with their partners. In between my support duties on ground, I also managed to speak with a volunteer who has been assisting the athletes on this course since childhood and a supporter who couldn’t miss her friend’s special day. The voices you’ll hear and their motivations is what makes sports so special and a fulfilling endeavour. I hope you enjoy! To find out more about Challenge Roth, visit www.challenge-roth.com Our wider support team for this episode includes Editor JJ Thompson and our Artwork is by the talented Alexandra Hickey of Studio Theodore. For more info,  visit www.themettleset.com , and follow us on @themettleset Dawn & Afshan  @dawnable  @afshahmed