Abu Dhabi: More than 100 UAE nationals will take part in this weekend’s sold-out TriYAS by Daman’s ActiveLife at Yas Marina Circuit, the largest turnout of Emirati participants in the event’s history.
Of the 100 UAE triathletes, 54 are women — another record for the community triathlon — and organisers say they join an already cosmopolitan mix of runners, cyclists and swimmers in the 1,500 who will compete on Friday.
Al Tarek Al Ameri, chief executive officer of the Yas Marina Circuit, said: “We are delighted that this fantastic and challenging event is engaging record numbers of Emiratis. Yas Marina hosts a wide array of sporting and fitness initiatives in order to inspire and engage the people of the UAE to get more active, and it’s very rewarding to see that our own nationals are setting a fine example to others.”
On Tuesday, some of the Emirati team from the Awazen Wellness Centre & Abu Dhabi Tri Club were at the circuit to take part in a tailor-made training session coached by reigning TriYAS champion and pro-triathlete Olivier Godart. They were joined by professional triathlete Balazs Csoken from Hungary, who will also be taking part in this weekend’s race.
Aisha Ali Bin Khalfan Al Dahi from the Awazen female team said: “We wanted to be a part of something that helped the UAE become a fitter, more active place and to fight obesity, and TriYAS is the perfect event to bring us together. We have been training for the last couple of months and are confident that we will put in a good performance on Friday.”
Also new for this year is the addition of an elite wave of 12 pro triathletes, who will be flying into the capital this week from around the world, a new KidsTRI with 150 children aged between 12 and 16, and a women-only category.
Despite the event being a sellout, friends and family eager to lend their support to those taking part can watch for free and the gates open at 11.30am. There will be viewing areas and entertainment, including live music, kids’ zones, climbing walls and other sporting attractions.
