The Middle East’s first ever junior triathlon will take place in Abu Dhabi on Friday, March 14, and there is still time to get yourself registered for what will be a historic race.
The triathlon will replace the duathlon following last year’s successful edition which saw 90 children converge on the Corniche.
The huge success led event organisers to join forces with Daman, the national health insurance company, to take the event a level up.
Dr Sven Rohte, Chief Commercial Officer at Daman, is looking forward to the first-of-its-kind junior triathlon in the region.
“The Abu Dhabi Junior Triathlon, which we are supporting as part of our Activelife brand, fits perfectly with our strategy to mobilise the community, young and old, to adopt a healthier, active lifestyle,” he said.
“Triathlon is most commonly viewed as a sport for the professionals but with initiatives like this one, we are presenting it in a fun, accessible manner that kids would enjoy, and hopefully be inspired by as a way to stay healthy as they grow older,” Dr Rohte added.
Triathlon is not that widely known compared to traditional sports like football or tennis and it is probably only during the Commonwealth or Olympic Games that we hear of the sport and what it entails.
But in many countries around the world, especially here in the UAE, there are many competitions taking place and the sport has now grown in popularity since its introduction in the 1920s.
The triathlon consists of swimming, biking, and running in respective order and the participants’ times also include the transition times between each event. This means that the time it takes to switch disciplines is part of the race time.
As soon as the race begins your time counts until you cross the finish line. It is a great way of keeping fit that requires a lot of stamina and determination.
Whether you finish first or last, the most important thing is taking part in the event and hopefully you will be influenced to take part in more competitions in the future.
The triathlon will take place one day before the flagship Abu Dhabi International Triathlon (Saturday, March 15) and the event will kick off from the Abu Dhabi Corniche East Plaza where reigning Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee will be in attendance to support the junior event.
Entry is Dh50 per person and registration for this unique event is simple.
Just visit www.premieronline.com/event/Abu_Dhabi_Junior_ Triathlon_2014_presented_by_ Activelife and fill in your details to register before the deadline on Saturday, March 01.
There will be two race formats for the kiddie entrants with children aged between 9 and 12 eligible for the aquathon. The second age group is for 13 to 16 year-olds and they will have the chance to compete in a 300m swim, 9km bike ride and a 2.5km run.
They can compete individually or as part of a team.
The top-three finishers of each category will win prizes, while each person will receive a medal regardless of their place in the race.
What: Abu Dhabi Junior Triathlon
When: Friday, March 14
Where: Abu Dhabi Corniche East Plaza
Contact: For registration visit www.premieronline.com/event/ Abu_Dhabi_Junior_Triathlon_ 2014_presented_by_Activelife.
More information can be found on www.abudhabitriathlon.com
