ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR THE SECOND ITU WORLD TRIATHLON ABU DHABI

ITU World Triathlon Series 2016 season opener held in Abu Dhabi on March 4/5

Abu Dhabi, UAE. Monday, 5 October 2015: Online registration for the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi opened Monday (October 5th) at 00:00hrs on the website – www.premieronline.com  - for more information visit http://abudhabi.triathlon.org/enter

Building on the success of the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, which took place in the UAE capital from 2010 to 2014 and the very first ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi held in 2015, the second event is set to be even bigger and better with a variety of course options to suit a range of abilities. The 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.

The Junior Triathlon & Aquathlon at the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is an event for youngsters aged between 5 - 15 years which aims to promote healthy living and bring together the UAE local communities. The entry categories include Tiny Triathlete (ages 5-6 & 7-9), Junior Aquathlon (ages 7-9, 10-11 & 12-13) and Junior Triathlon Super Sprint (ages 12-13 & 14-15).

Over 2,000 athletes raced the 2015 course on Abu Dhabi’s beautiful Corniche in perfect weather ahead of Olympic and World Champions. 600 racers flew into Abu Dhabi especially for the highly anticipated race where a breadth of countries were represented including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Brazil, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Egypt,  Netherlands, France, Yemen and many more. For 2016 the ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi is expected to grow the UAE event even further under the auspices of event host partner the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

ADSC Representative, Ahmed Abdullah Al Qubaisi – Director of Marketing and Communications , said: “We are once again delighted to welcome triathletes of all abilities and experiences to the second ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi on our capital’s stunning Corniche on March 4/5. The opportunity for age group athletes to compete on the same stage as the world’s top 65 men and 65 women is 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 build on the successful first event held earlier this year.”

The event will once again be headquartered at the Abu Dhabi Sailing & 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 2016 season.