The three-week countdown has begun to one of the standout triathlons of the UAE’s sporting calendar – TriYAS by Daman’s ActiveLife.
With the February 26 starting date now firmly in sight, organisers of TriYAS have revealed the swimming, cycling and running maps for the sixth edition of the race.
For the fourth consecutive year, National Health Insurance Company – Daman is supporting TriYAS as part of its ActiveLife initiative.
Commenting on the company’s involvement; Dr. Sven Rohte, Chief Commercial Officer, Daman said: “Daman is glad to be the main supporter of the award winning TriYAS for the fourth year in a row. Undoubtedly, TriYAS is one of the best sporting experiences in the UAE. It is a great opportunity for those who trained at Daman’s weekly ActiveLife events at YMC such as TrainYAS and StartYAS to measure their performance and gauge the improvement in their fitness levels.”
“Even if you did not have much training, the Sprint category is great for beginners; offering the right challenge for your first triathlon. The young ones can take also participate with the returning KidsTRI; an experience that only few high caliber sports events provide for children. We hope that everyone participating this year for the first time continues to participate in different health and fitness events that we regularly support at this iconic F1 circuit,” he added.
Hundreds of participants, many of them fully immersed in the official eight-week TriYAS training programme, can now visualize their route around Yas Marina and Yas Marina Circuit (YMC).
The maps – available on the official YMC website – reveal routes for both the Olympic category, featuring a 1,500-metre swim (2 laps of the swim course), 40-kilometre bike race (7 laps of the Formula 1® track) and 10-kilometre run (2 laps of the track and Yas Marina), and the shorter Sprint category, involving a 750-metre swim (1 lap), 20-kilometre bike course (4 laps of the F1® track) and 5–kilometre run consisting of 1 lap of the circuit culminating through the Yas Marina before finishing in the village.
Also announced is key race information, including parking arrangements, swim starting times, bike racing and processes.
“Being able to see the maps and to plan out your race is an important psychological step for participants,” said Nick McElwee, Sales & Marketing Director Yas Marina Circuit. “Competitors will start to feel a tinge of nervous excitement as we enter the month of the race and the route is now mapped out in front of them. We have had added enhancements to previous years with entertainment on the running course and more hydration stations to ensure motivation and safety remain high for participants.
More than 30 first-time triathletes are among those halfway through the official TriYAS training programme, held in locations throughout Abu Dhabi, including Yas Marina Circuit, Haddins Gym and Saadiyat Island.
But McElwee stressed that it isn’t too late for individual adults and kids, as well as larger groups, to register to take part.
“We expect TriYAS to sell out soon, but there are still places available,” he added. “It’s not too late for people to get mentally and physically prepared for the race. As we’re always keen to point out, participants must set their own personal goals depending on their ability level.”
TriYAS is a beginner-friendly triathlon that is open to people of various ages and abilities. But it also boasts a 17-strong pro-field line-up, headlined this year by Ruedi Wild and Jan van Berkel.
Switzerland’s Olympic triathlon Ruedi Wild is the 33-year-old defending TriYAS champion and a multiple winner of 70.3 Ironman distance races around the world. Jan van Berkel, also Swiss, was a top three finisher in four Ironman 70.3 triathlons in 2015.
Heading up the Middle East-based challenge is Luxemburg’s Olivier Godart, whose most recent triathlon victory was at the Dubai International Triathlon in November 2015. Olivier is providing a series of videos posted via social media that break down the barriers to triathlon participation, showing that training and taking part is achievable. The videos can be seen on YasTV and at this link:https://www.youtube.com/user/
This year sees an increased field of 1,700 people, allowing more youngsters, first-time racers and experienced triathletes to take part in the event, which has sold out every year.
TriYAS will include KidsTRI for children aged between 9-17 years to test themselves over a 200-metre swim, 10-kilometre cycle and a 1.5-kilometre run. The UAE’s only twilight triathlon also includes a female-only category.
Participants are encouraged to share their own personal stories of their training experiences across social media, using the hashtag ‘#TriYAS’.
As part of the circuit’s ongoing ‘Big Data’ health audit initiative to benchmark the UAE’s activity habits, entrants to TriYAS will also have their BMI index and other data measured on site. The information collected will add to the existing knowledge base for use in future health planning strategies in the emirate.
To register for TriYAS, please visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com
For more information on the wide range of activities and events, please visit: www.yasmarinacircuit.com