THE capital’s Corniche will be packed with world-class talent this weekend, as the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon gets set to start along the iconic seafront.
Race fans will be able to witness row upon row of the best tri-talent on the planet – including Olympic gold-and-bronze medal winners and World champions – line up in their slick wetsuits, silicone caps and tinted race goggles ready for the off on Saturday morning.
The fifth edition of the race will see some of the world’s top triathletes compete for the top prize of $60,000, including Spaniard Eneko Llanos, Egyptian Omar Nour (see sidebar) and Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield.
But the main draw will arguably be Olympic gold medallist and reigning Abu Dhabi International Triathlon champion, Alistair Brownlee, who is returning to the capital, this time with his brother Jonathan, the 2012 International Triathlon Union World Champion.
The race offers individual entrants the chance to compete in ‘long’, ‘short’ or ‘sprint’ courses with the ‘short’ and ‘sprint’ categories open to teams as well. The top prize is for long course entrants.
The sea off the Corniche represents the first challenge for the racers, with a 3km leg for the long-distancers. Wading out of the water and onto land, the athletes will then leap onto bikes to tackle a 200km cycle along the Corniche, over Saadiyat Island and around Yas Island’s iconic F1 racetrack. After looping back to the mainland, the triathletes then have to complete a 20km-run which loops around at the capital’s iconic flagpole.
Since its inception in 2010, the capital’s competition has grown each year, developing the race into one of the world’s top triathlon events and marking Abu Dhabi as a leading winter training destination for athletes in various disciplines.
The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon takes place this Saturday 15th March. For more information, visit: www.abudhabitriathlon.com
Tips for triathletes
Having once tipped the scales at more than 100kg, triathlete Omar Nour knows all too well the importance of exercising and enjoying a healthy lifestyle as he tackles the race for the second time.
The Egyptian, who spent three months winter training in the capital, has some good advice for anyone taking part in the gruelling event: “Eat a well-balanced diet and do not carb load before the event. Just follow your normal eating routine and the last thing you want to do is mess your body up and consume a lot of carbs the night before the race. Also, hydration is key, and I would encourage all participants to drink a healthy dose of water and not wait until a few days before the race to hydrate properly.”
The 34-year-old triathlete also places high importance on mental training during race week – keeping anxiety down to a minimum and trusting your training. He added: “Relax and don’t stress out during race week. We all get butterflies, especially the night before, which is completely normal so don’t let that paralyse you or affect your performance.”
And he says enjoying the race is paramount: “This is especially important for pros and amateurs on race day – live in the moment. Relax and just do your best without being too hard on yourself. Remember at the end of the day triathlon is all about having fun.”
