The 2015 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi will be held next weekend in the capital. Below, Osman Samiuddin outlines what you need to know ahead of the race.
When is it?
The race will take place over the weekend of March 6-7. The amateur race begins at 6.40am with the Maxi distance athletes. The Olympic distance starts at 8am and the Sprint distance at 10.30am.
However, if you want to watch the elite professional athletes, the women’s race starts at 3.06pm and the men’s race at 5.06pm.
Where is it?
As always, the centre point will be the Corniche waterfront. But this year the course has been changed and made more spectator-friendly.
The maps for the elite and amateur courses can be found below:
So what is the course like?
There are two separate courses, one for elite - or professional - triathletes and one for the amateurs.
In previous years the course has stretched from the Corniche all the way to the Yas Marina circuit. Cycling inside the Formula One track, in fact, was one of the highlights for competitors.
This year, however, the course goes only as far as Saadiyat Island at its longest and that too only for amateur competitors. The world’s top triathletes will be swimming in the breakwater, then running and cycling around the Corniche.
Spectators, therefore, will be able to keep tabs on the likes of the Brownlee brothers up close along the waterfront course. For those who’d like to watch from the stands theevents will feature a spectator-friendly environment including a 1,000-seater grandstand.
Elites can choose to race one of the different distances on offer: Sprint (0.5km swim, 20km cycle, 5km run), Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run) or Maxi (2km swim, 80km cycle, 20km run). Most Elites will probably opt for the Olympic distance as part of their preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Amateurs will also choose from the same distance and can have team participation, with individual members taking on one leg each.
What’s different this year?
Though the race has always attracted some of the world’s best competitors, it has for five years been an invitational race, with the ethos of an exhibition event.
The best example of the spirit of competition was probably captured last year by the Brownlee brothers, who engineered a joint-first finish, displaying the flag of Yorkshire as they crossed the finish line.
This year, however, the Abu Dhabi Triathlon is a competitive event, the opening race on the the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Series (WTS) - the world’s leading triathlon circuit contested by the best Olympic competitors.
The world’s best triathletes will be competing for points this time round and will do so for the next five years under the agreement signed between the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and ITU.
Who can take part?
Anyone and everyone. The beauty of the triathlon has always been that it is open to anyone. There are still places open for those wanting to take part at the official website. So far over 2000 athletes from around the world are expected to take part.
The world’s best male and female triathletes will be present as well – 65 entries in the men’s and 64 in the women’s competition.
Will any roads be closed?
There will be disruptions along the corniche on Friday and Saturday. Take a look at our interactive map for details
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