Abu Dhabi International Triathlon aims for 2,100 athletes with Enhanced Course
COURSE UPGRADES ENHANCE 2012 ABU DHABI TRI New swim and cycle courses required for record-breaking registration numbers.
The third annual Abu Dhabi International Triathlon this March will feature an enhanced course to accommodate the record-breaking 2,100 athletes earmarked for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-organised event.
To cater to demand, one of the sport’s most picturesque courses has been slightly altered with the swim relocating to the Abu Dhabi public beach “creating a more competitor and spectator friendly event with start line, finish line, T1 and T2 all operating in the same central hub. The cycle route will now start from the heart of the Corniche in the East Plaza, with cyclists riding up Saadiyat Island to lap and around the spectacular Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1 „¢ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The run course remains unchanged.
“The decision to continue evolving the course was made to improve the entire athlete experience and build on the solid foundation of the last two years,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, ADTA. “The upgraded course gives returning athletes new challenges while keeping the beautiful setting along the city coastline that makes the this event one of world’s best and most talked about.”
The 2012 race, which will be held on Saturday, March 3, is organised by ADTA and attracts both strong local and international participants. Abu Dhabi Tri is targeting a record field of 2,100 participants this year, up from 1,500 in 2011.
ADTA is hoping to build on the success of last year’s event which boasted 61 of the world’s best triathletes with 24 global titles between them, together with an international amateur and newcomer line-up from almost 50 countries.
The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon offers three course distances; the 223km ‘long course’ (3km swim, a 200km cycle and 20km run), the half-length ‘short’ course (1.5km swim, a 100km cycle and a 10 km run) and the successful 2011-debuted sprint course (750m swim, a 50km bike and 5km run), of which the latter two can be run as a team relay.
