Abu Dhabi: Online registration for the 2015 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi, which takes place on March 6-7 next year is due to open at 2 pm on Wednesday on the official event website, http://abudhabi.triathlon.org/enter.
Now part of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Series (WTS), organisers say the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is set to become one of the highlights of UAE’s sporting calendar for years to come and a popular annual challenge for amateurs and professionals alike.
Building on the success of the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, which took place in the UAE capital from 2010 to 2014, the brand-new ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is set to be even bigger and better with a variety of course options to suit a range of abilities. The new format race features three course options: Sprint (0.5km swim, 20km cycle, 5km run), Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run) and Maxi (2km swim, 80km cycle, 20km run). All course options can also be run with friends or family as a team relay.
A new Maxi course has been added to attract triathletes looking for an exciting challenge in the emirate.
Event director, Iain Banner, said: “The Maxi course has been added to offer a stiffer challenge to those triathletes who enjoy the longer distance format. We are aware that a number of international competitors require the longer distance to justify travelling to participate.
“Additionally, we have shortened the sprint swim to 500m to make entering the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi achievable for first-time novice competitors.”
The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon attracted a record 2,400 athletes from 100 countries to the capital’s Corniche in 2014.
For 2015, the new format ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is expected to grow the UAE event even further under the auspices of new event host partner, Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome triathletes of all abilities and experiences to the inaugural ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi on our capital’s stunning Corniche on March 7. The opportunity for age-group athletes to compete on the same stage as the world’s top 65 men and 65 women is quite unique. Most importantly, it matches with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s role in providing all kinds of support and supervision over major sports events along with providing great interest for talented athletes.
“We are looking forward to starting a new chapter in Abu Dhabi’s sporting history in only four months’ time.”
The new event will be headquartered at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club on the breakwater opposite the Abu Dhabi Corniche, where a spectator-friendly environment including a 2,000-seater grandstand, a bike park, a ‘Friends and Family’ area, refreshment kiosks and a kids zone, will be built. The elite event will feature a ‘swim start’ off the Volvo Ocean Race yacht pontoons, with the top men and women on the ITU World Series rankings competing for line honours in the opening event of the 2015 season.
