“New event format with some start-up issues - Everybody was expecting a similar spectacular event from the previous years. Though the overall organisation was great and well executed, the location of the event village, the medal, the giveaways, the timing of the elite race ... were all things that were disappointing certainly comparing it to previous years. ITU has not demonstrated for me that they have added value to the event. And on top of that I had to pay double the price from last year!”

“Good competiton - There was poor information the day before of the race and the day of the race. Volunteers were confused, they didn´t have enough information to help us properly. It wasn´t written anywhere who was going to receive the prizes and where. Thank you to all the volunteers and everybody who was involved in it for the competition”

“Poor compared with Challenge... - No dinner pre or post event. The supply was in a tiny lane for the bike so you need to near stop if want to grab both gel and fluids. The olympics got so mixed with the maxi that all was like a messy drafting party, and of course no officers to control what was out of control . A bike race of 4 laps does not help to avoid a crowded circuit of course. I listen that for winners was no price. Professionals several hours after finish amateurs does not help for those who want to see them. Poor.”

“Excellent Race - will be back finances allowing. - Well organised, excellent route and a great day for both spectators and competitors alike. Great time schedule to allow time to see the elite race after I completed my race. Would strongly recommend race to anyone. Thank you race organiser, volunteers, marshals for making this a great day.”

“Tri for all abilities - Positive: organizers awsome and the pre race communication was great via e-mail, bike service onsite, swim team, course and location, medics on site, volunteers, a race for all abilities. Negative: sharp corners on bike road, support station location on bike, some volunteers couldn't answer Qs, medal quality, package and give away. Suggestions: healthy food restraunts on site, better seating/veiwing area, more kids activities on site.”

“Great Race, but organization needs work - Great Race and course. The pre-race swim practice was poor. No maps and the volunteers didn't seem to know where the course was! Also, it was from 8-9, which was fine except we couldn't register until 10 and the race briefing wasn't until 12 - then moved to 1. So, the whole process took half a day! Have the race collection right before or after the practice swim followed by the briefing. Water at the finish not afterwards. Provide a free T-shirt or something!! Let age-group winners podium!”

“Well organized - Thanks ITU ”

“Great, F1 missing, communication to be improved - The F1 course should be reintegrated in the bike course! The communication could be improved. The screen in front of the grandstand was not used to communicate that race briefing 1 had been shiftet to 1 pm. The pre swim race briefing did not take place (without notice). Visitors did not know when which race will take place. Some more signs required "to bike checkin" etc. Onlineregistration said ChampionChip, but there was another chip. Only water, iso and bananas after the finish - very poor”

“Less spectacular than in previous years - The volunteers deserve a BIG thank you, each and every one of them. Other positive aspects: - Several race briefings - Registration in Dubai & Abu Dhabi Areas for improvement: - Announce Course maps earlier - Bike course of previous years on Yas Marina F1 race track made the event spectacular. This year it was a course like every other. Worth the travel? - Having to lift bikes & strollers over footbridge is not well thought through - Provide free Pasta Party, proper after race food & showers.”

“Great race with some things to be improved - -great scenery -awesome and helpful volunteers -close to the pros -fantastic atmosphere -Compared to the previous Abu Dhabi traithlons the bike and run course were not so good (no F1 track included) -drinking bottles at support stations were too small for cage -communication about course etc. came very late -poor access to the site during race (stairs --> hard to cross with bike/buggies) -poor after race "catering"”

“Some improvements to be made - Did enjoy the event and the atmosphere. Few things to improve...Cramped race village-madness to have to carry bike back over ramp bridge. Poor choice of foods from vendors, nothing too healthy on offer. Photos a let down, no finishing pics taken. Would be good to have had signage at every km on cycle and run.”

“Great Tri for those that seek more than the norm - Great to take part in this tri. I suggest that signage to the start when approaching through AD city is improved. The access to the transition area for racking / de-racking was chaos. Next time keep a dedicated filter lane. The medal quality was poor. The goody bag was poor. The event itself was enjoyable.”

“Well organised - Well organised, good pre-race briefing.”

“Beautifull race well organized - To be improved -food in the event village -food offered just after the final line (1 bananne...) -transition aera not well organized (peolpe racking out or moving in the same time with competitor”

“Feedback - There is a room for improvement for the spectators areas. It is tight . After the race going out was a bit difficult and a bit confusing. you may conisder developing some entertainment activities for the spectators including ,play area for kids, for example. The photos were a bit overpriced. The event marketing should be significantly improved, in a city like Abu Dhabi, i expected that the majoiry of my friends are aware of the event, which was not the case. otherwise, it was a lovely even:)”

“Good, but you could do better! - The medal was average and there was not t-shirt included for the price that was far higher than other events with a much nicer medal and t-shirt like DIT”

“Great day but stressful start - We found that on getting to Abu Dhabi the road closure meant the taxi couldn't get to drop us off. No diversión signs were up. It took over 1hr and 35mins to get to race meaning missed my start and also missed the place to run over timing sensor. I could suggest a park and ride system, maybe even using the dhows so can easily get to venue, this way taxis can easily get to this point and we can be transported across to venue. For the entry fee I'd expect a free t-shirt or something. ”

“After Race Support - Food for Recovery - There is no food after the race. It would be great if there will be an additional food support especially after the race/event like in ADIT. Thanks.”

“Great experience, fantastic atmosphere - The event as a whole was superb, just one or two things to sort out. For constructive criticism for next year, the logistics around the transition and getting bikes to it and especially away from it after the event was not good. It was too busy around the athlete / spectator shop / refreshment area to have bikes coming in, and especially out after the event, and carry bikes and gear over the bridge. Other than that, event was brilliant, atmosphere superb and a must do event next year!”

“Descent Race - PROS: 1.Helpful and accommodating support team. CONS: 1.Giveaways 2.No carpet in the T.Area 3.Run was less than 10km 4.One Aid station was position on a downhill route 4. I only have 2 photos online. 5.Toilets should be placed near the beach start. 5.Race bag is too small. Turns in bike leg are to tight. 6. Race village is too crowded and athletes has to carry their bike in crowded area no to mention the stairs. There should be a separate path for the athletes.”

“Welcome addition to the calendar - + points: excellent SA doctor in the ambulance at the Maxi turning point who bandaged me up so I could finish after falling over. Another great marshall called Brett gave me support at the water station near the finish/turning point. Good bike course. Room for improvement: transition area felt very cramped. Swim course seemed to change a few times, also would have been helpful to swim more of it in the practice. Cheap medal and goodie bag. Exit for bikes over ramp not helpful.”

“Fun in the sun. THANK YOU!!! - The race was absolutely first class - fantastic course with no danger of getting lost and first class marshalls with no shortage of aid stations. First class flushing toilets but I think there were a few queues to use them on the run course so more would have been appreciated. The check in process was always later than the advertised time - the volunteers turned up on time to do their duties but had received no instructions. Bag drop was a disgrace. Need to check in own SECURE bag!”

“Well organized but with some disappointments - Good bike course with roads closed exclusive for the event. consider rerouting of run course to a more conducive route. That ramp is a bit annoying specially when you are all exhausted after the event yet you still have to carry the bike up and down the ramp. Athlete's village is a bit tight. Not worth the money: no finishers shirt or any souvenir for keeps w/ ITU branding, poor quality medal, swim cap's ITU logo chipped off soon after the race, transition area not carpeted, etc.”

“Excellent course. Cramped venue. - Hello Firstly, I would like to say that I thought the race course (all 3 disciplines) was really good. However, the event was let down somewhat by the extremely cramped venue, especially when compared to the spacious venue used in past years on the Corniche. I appreciate that there may have been commercial/political reasons why the Sailing & Yacht Club was chosen for the venue, but I think you should review that decision for next year's race. Thanks!”

“Suitable for newbies to tri & more experienced - Maxi Distance: Liked the swim course (3 legs, easy to navigate), 4 lap bike & run course, good for spectators, Disliked the poor event bag (tiny drawstring nylon) with few 'freebies'' : baseball cap (no clear ITU logo), 1 gel, Cranberry Redbull. Generally well organized with good signage, stocked aid stations, cold sponges etc. Major area to improve would be to re-route the post-event bike collection. Wasn't safe for competitors to wheel bikes through expo & up & over scaffold bridge.”

“Medal + Photos - For the amount of money i payed to compete in your triathlon the medal was very poorly. 1: There is no date on it. 2: The distance isn't clarified on the medal. The price of the photos are way to high in my point of view and when you download the certificate there should be a photo on it in my opinion. These things were the downside off the competition. The others things were all good/perfect. ”

“Great 1st year! - Great 1st race. Was well organised and well marshelled. You should have reconised age group cat finishers in prise giving. Liked the expo, it kept people hanging around and at one central point. Good job guys”

“A good event - Good points - loved the course, weather was fab, organized at the start and finish and very prompt results. The marshals were fab! Areas to improve - goodie bag was terrible….not event a t-shirt for what we paid, the communications before the race seemed a bit last minute. ”

“It - It"s all good”

“Great fun, well organized. - Very good event overall. Sprint swim should be 750m like other sprint races. Spectator-friendly and an enjoyable course. Thanks!”

“Awesome event - Fantastic event, thanks to all the organisers and volunteers. Great to finish on the blue carpet with the Abu Dhabi logo which was spectacular. Minor hiccups include location of bike aid station on a downhill and kit boxes, basins (?) and holdalls in transition even though the race briefing stated these were not allowed. Looking forward to taking part next year. ”

“Excellent day and enjoyed participating - Well organised and attended, the bike course was a little narrow in places but OK. All in all a very well run event, I enjoyed it and was pleased with my performance.”

“Everything was good except expensive accomodation - If possible, the accommodation for participants and also travelling services with special offers and discounts.”

“Superb event, well organised and professional - Very inclusive event, well organised Water stations on the run perfectly placed but feed station on bike course was on downhill stretch and one of the only really fast sections Better on up hill section where we are going slower I would have appreciated some distance markers on the run Transition was excellent and well signed Marshalling was superb The need to go through the seated area and around the tents to remove bikes was too cramped Trophies for age group winners a little disappointing”

“Fantastic experience, loved it! - What a brilliant day! Really well organized. Will definitely do it again. My only moan was taking the bike up and down the stairs to the transition point. Well done everyone involved.”

“Great event, new course better (though miss Yas) - Great to pick up packs in Dubai. Transition a little tight with kit everywhere. Blue bag pick up very slow. Village area too tight and difficult to exit through with bike post event. Medal poor quality. Lack of food and drink in village. Watching the pros was great fun. Overall a quality event (have done AD 5 times before and over 15 triathlons as a benchmark)”

“EPIC - Great organisation, safe course and friendly marshals The venue was a bit tight for the number of people, expecting the numbers to grow i would suggest expanding the race village a little bit. ”

“Great event. - Good organized event. ”

“Great event for a first Tri - First triathlon so didn't have very high expectations as I have nothing to compare it to. Grand stands were great and the finish line looked good, but it was not a very convenient set up for racers. Having to cross the bridge with the bikes for registration/bike check was a huge hassle! The goodie bag was cheap and contained magazines with race information that should have been distributed months before. The swimming track was good, running and biking well indicated and flat.”

“A nice venue - Please make it so we may drop off gear the day of the race instead of the day before.”

“First time outside Italy, Good Experience - I've been never in UAE, this was a great Experience. Race Expo is near one of the most Mall in Abu Dhabi, so Parking was easy for most of triathlete. Maybe I will be race also in 2016 but in Olympic distance, I find that a 4 laps race for the Maxi Distance is very stressed for the athlete. I talk with some athlete that raced also last year and they find better a Long distance race one lap only, to Yas Island and back. I hope that this will be possible in 2016 edition.”

“Great event- Will be back in 2016 - Bike check out needs a new clear exit. This year, we were lined up to exit and runners were still needing to run through to start. Wasn't fair to the runners but also not great for the cyclists cued up and blocked the area. Race packs should be sent to individuals who have registered prior to a certain date. Otherwise, great event, can't wait until 2016.”

“Mainly good but needs improvement in certain areas - Transition/finish area far too small and crowded. Pushing your bike through the crowd then carrying it over the bridge before and especially after the race was a pain. Bike aid station at the bottom of a hill on such a tight course really needs to be changed - unnecessarily dangerous. Good, quick run course with plenty of aid stations and the finish chute was great.”

“An okay race with some improvements - To familize with the swim course (on the Olympic dist.) wasn't organized very good on Friday morning, as it was only possible to swim the sprint course. Direction to bike-check-in could be marked much better. No photos from the run course - only from the blue carpet/finish line. White bottles at the aid station on the bike course. Not even a ITU logo on the bottle. ”

“Great venue, challenging logistics - PRO: Swim/bike/run courses were excellent! I am very glad Abu Dhabi is now a destination for an ITU World Triathlon event! Please keep it up. CON: The layout of the start/finish/transition areas and support functions were laid out in less-than-optimal fashion. E.g., the finished competitors leaving the TA with their bikes obstructed the runners who were still in competition; things were hard to find at first. I saw some cyclists confused about their course and ending up on the runner course.”

“Great event, well organized - All good, just fix better swim exit next year.”

“Great event overall. - I am a runner and I have participated in countless races around the world, this was my first time doing a triathlon and I was very, very impressed by how well-planned everything was, down to the smallest of details. Well done to Paul Venn and the organizers, puts events like the Dubai Marathon to shame ”

“Great event to start your season! - The organization was great except few things that could be improved next year. For example, they could give trophies for first three places for age groupers, not just the first place. There are no photos available for free. Just to have my pictures I had to pay extra $ 65!”

“Awesome - Awesome”

“Nice course - This race is to much focused on the elite races. For age-grouper is a lot of improvement to do to compete with Challenge or Ironman. cheap finisher medal no real event giveaways no age group ceremony bad photo serviceto less spots to take photos ”

“Great course, Great weather, Great support, WATER! - This really was a stellar event, really well organised and communication was great beforehand. The course was ideal, pan flat and great for fast times. Only negative point is the support stations, just one on the bike, but more so the run, whilst the volunteers did a good job I passed aid stations too many times and was left wanting a bottle of water as the kids weren't ready with them. Disappointingly had some items taken/stolen from the transition area when I left to go shower and change”

“Great Day; Poor Bag Drop, Swim Buoys; Bike collect - Great atmosphere, but a few improvements: Registration & bike racking should happen together. Was not clear that this was an option. Village was a bit cramped &unclearly sign posted. Bag Drop &changing facilities were terrible. As a competitor travelling on her own, I had change of clothes etc., which would never fit in tiny blue bag provided. I was not alone as there was a huge pile of backpacks strewn on the floor. Bike collection not managed - blocked late athletes transition ”

“Good event but with lots of space for improvement - Fantastic weather conditions and overall a good event. It gave me though the impression that the age groupers were just piggy backing on the elites event. Also small village, small racking space, very tight bike U-turns, and even the way to transition to rack the bike was not clear.”

“Enjoyed the event but not the cramped village - The set up looked great including the grand stands. Briefings were good but the maps could have had a little more detail with regards to turn points, i.e. relation to other roads. The registration area, bag drop-off & pick-up was not ideal. The area was cramped it not fun standing in a queue, in the hot sun, waiting to pick your bag. The queues also created a problem in the area as people had to come through with their bikes. The area was clustered and made Dubai traffic look a breeze. ”

“Love this race! - Great event and gorgeous day to race! Please next time allow more space for the bikes on raking ! ”

“Awesome course and well organized race! - Beautiful water and road surface for every leg of the race. Great organization and volunteer support. Signage of turning points near the race village could have been better. The medal's design is very basic and needs improvement. Would definitely sign up again! ”

“Awesome event! - Excellent”

“Good event, minor improvements for next year - Really enjoyed the race, the set up of the course was good, easy to understand the turn points and race course. swim exit was abit difficult, beach exit or metal metals might be better next time. staff helpful at registration, though bike racking sign could have been more clear. More shade is defiantly needed at start beach waiting area and the finish.Exit with bikes post race could be better, I had just finished my race, could find anywhere to stand in shade as all people with bike leaving.”

“A good race and with more control can be great - A good course, well laid out and managed. A little chaotic in the expo area. Getting in was ok but getting out at end of the race was the hardest bit of the day. Needs more control of who is allowed where. Many non athletes being let through the competitor only area at the end made it worse. ”

“Great event! - Very well organized and an awesome international feel to the event. I can't wait to participate next year.”

“Great except Logistic set up (for none professiona - Great day and lucky with weather :) Great race and good ambiance. Thus I found quite poor all the logistic part (e.g. transition) especially access in ant OUT (narrow, crowd ++ in middle of tables, etc). May be we should not compare, but the AD Tri on the other side on previous years was much better in this regard.”

“Perfect triathlon option for Indians - Near perfect weather, protected sea swim, great atmosphere and a treat to watch top world athletes! One more thing - it's the best triathlon option for Indians - short flight and world class event!”

“Wish it was organized better - Good news: the people running the event were very helpful Bad news: - my children participated in the event and when we picked up the package we were not told to pick up the timing chip so we were running around last minute to find the timing lady for help. - the course was not well guarded, ie for the running and biking routes, I dodgged people, strollers, children, other cyclist that were not part of the race, etc. - the maps online did not match with the course the day of the race. ”

“Very expensive race! - Lovely location and course but hugely expensive when there was no t-shirt, an extremely basic medal and no shade or refreshments (even water) available before the race started! The race village was far too small and volunteers in the registration/bag tent were very overwhelmed and unable to help with a lot of queries. I have competed in this race twice previously and prefer the old location and course much more spacious, with a better atmosphere”

“The course could be improved. Otherwise, great! - Laps are too small”

“Great event! - Overall this is a great event. Good briefing, knowledgeable organisers. A few small improvements could be made: something other than water, bananas and red bull at the finish (how about some recovery drink and some carbs based product as well). The expo area was a bit crowded because i think there wasn't really enough space. Overall though, fantastic event, very well organised, great (fast) course. A bonus was being able to watch the two elite races right afterwards!”

“Great first event under this model - A few suggestions: - More shade for finishing participants, and in general throughout the venue and especially over the grandstand - Live timing available for spectators to be able to follow progress of their friends participating - Pre-event communications don't come early enough. Race start times and details that were only within the race briefing would have been useful earlier and in the pre-event comms and not only in the briefing Thanks for this event! ”

“A great event in a classic location - It was a brilliant experience taking part in this event. Clearly there are logistical issues as the race site is narrow and gets very congested. Need to find a better way of getting bikes away from transition and the venue at the end that doesn't involve traversing the whole site and carrying them over the temporary bridge. One of the gates onto Theatre Road should be opened.”

“Great but no age group prizes or 2nd place trophy - I absolutely loved the event and the bike course was well signed and organised. I also liked the staggered starts but maybe a few more people in each one so it wasnt spread over such a long time. I really liked the medal but there was no age group or team recognition which was a bit of a discrace, especially at such a big event. Pro races were fantastic, village was a bit small, hard to find transition on friday with no signs. The website with the photos posts tiny pictures that are hard to see.”

“Good race. Okay administration - Don't make us carry our bikes over a footbridge crowded with children and other competitors, especially when we are tired. The event was very crowded in the 'expo area'. The whole thing was very crowded, with not much retail or food and no entertainment. No sign posts to the bike racking area. Queued for ages to get my event bag back. Not enough room for the volunteers to store them in an orgainsed way. No goodies, really, none at all. Commentators good. Race itself good. ”

“Beautiful setting, great course, organization meh - Fun to see people at the turn-around points. Bummer that someone on the course mis-directed me at the bike turn-around, when I wasn't finished with my two laps, and I was told to head for the finish area. The bike turn around sign should have said: sprint, olympic and maxi, all turns at the same place. The printed material was also vague on the bike turn; should have had a diagram of the transition area. Recognition for age group winners? Put water in paper cups vs plastic bottles.”

“CON - CONS: 1. very expensive 2. race village is way too small 3. NO PROPER SIGNAGE inside going to bike rack 4. very unprofessional- NO BODY MARKINGS 5. wristband- no number to identify at all that anyone can just switch their old bike into a very nice bike 6. NO water on the finish line 6. CLIMBING OVer the BRIDGE carrying the bike after the race is a BIG NO NO!! 7. in the registration it says we can download the certificate(NONE at all). 8. GOODie bag - very bad,cheap and pathetic 8. MEDAL -cheap”

“Great event, poor communication - Great event, fantastic day. Communication was not good enough though, rather surprising from ITU. Conflicts between information available on various media (premieronline, ITU website, results website, give away magazine...). Was the swim course 500 or 750m? It changes depending on your source of information. Ultimately you know from your timing (results website says 750m, time indicate 500m). Most rules published stated to ride on the left and pass on right. Riders had to keep right in the end.”

“Great event but room for a lot of improvement! - The area, atmosphere, course were fantastic but… Wristbands were not numbered and not fitted by people at registration. For such an expensive event the Goodie bag was terrible:( People were not ready for registration and the expo was poor. The placement for the water/food station on the bike course was the biggest most dangerous mistake made. It should never be placed at the bottom of a hill! You need more recognition for age groupers (they pay) and present their awards on the podium”

“Well organized but flavor being commercial - Positive: Communication and staff was great, organisation was top, tracks are also nice and structured, swim familiarisation very useful, sufficient bike repair services, very secure bike track, recovery area Room for improvement: bike track should go through YAS Marina F1 track, the medal looks like a bottle opener recevied after over 5 hours hard work, the signalisation was poor (exit), the Expo could have more shops, what about online race tracking for family and friends who cannot be there”

“Good fun event - Well organised mainly, great course, helpful marshals. Only 1 complaint and that was not being allowed back across the road before the womens elite race, nothing was said about the road being blocked off and all the marshals disagreed with each other about whether we were allowed across which was the only dissapointing part of the day. Eventually someone had some common sense and let people across the road.”

“Brilliant, except the small details - Loved the race and felt the organisation, planning and communication was great. The team were all helpful and had a great time. Small points to improve are 1 Climbing a bridge after the event with a bike 2 The medal 3 The whole site was too small (transition + bike and bag collection + village needs improvement) 4 Finish line with people on both sides creates more atmosphere 5 The bike transition was poorly positioned with loose bottles 6 The bike bottles were too small 6 No t shirt”

“Clearly ALL about the Pros - Looks like Challenge has the Middle East area triathlon race market properly cornered with ITU AD a poor relative in comparison. Also participated in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon last year & was disappointed with ITU AD effort in comparison. Poor event organisation, expensive, repetitive course, limited knowledge by staff & volunteers, event village layout badly designed with few signs & no recognition for age group participation. Will not be racing AD ITU again next year. ”

“Not as good as previous years - The start/finish area is chaotic. Too many people and not enough space. Put it back on the corniche where space is not an issue”

“Prestigious but average returns - Medal = poor material and design the goody bag = disposable, mine was easily ripped off. tshirts = not worth it,pricey but so ordinary. value of your money = average, just so you can say you join this event and watch the Pros”

“Cracking event very well run! - Given that this is the first event, the organisation and support teams did an outstanding job. Sure there is plenty of room to improve but mostly just the small stuff. My only disappointment was that AGs didn't go on to the podium and collect a small trophy. If they can manage it at Mamzar then the ITU has work to do! I feel slightly robbed as I came 3rd in the 45-49M Sprint. I hope that AD becomes a permanent fixture in the ITU calendar. Watching the Pros afterwards capped of the weekend! ”

“I do not like laps! - The course was boring compared to the ADIT. Not such a good idea to put the aid station right after the very only downhill of the bike course!”

“Great event - Thought event well organised and great atmosphere and venue. Only 2 gripes. 1. Event giveaways disappointing. Can't remember what the entry was but it seemed a bit stingy. 2. It was a shame not to support the age group triathletes and give them a moment on the podium and a little something for all the 2nd and 3rd placed people, even if just a certificate. ”

“Fantastic Venue, Brilliant day - Transition set up and bike return was a mess. Taking bikes through the crowded village, over the bridge in long queues was not necessary- simply create a gate from transition to the road, very easy and takes out all the bikes from the event village. Other than that the organization was brilliant.”

“Change is not always good - Don't try to squeeze the venue in the Abu Dhabi Yacht Club again. It is simply too small. Get supporters close to the transition zone again. Provide proper food and sunshade after the finish line. Don't force people to lift their baby strollers and bikes over a pedestrian bridge. Especially the latter one hurts after the maxi distance. ”

“Great event, but NOT worth the money!!!! - My first ITU event, likely my last. Organization was great, but fell short in areas. Small things could improve the event. Race give-aways were awful, even minion events give participants something to remember the experience by. Definitely NOT worth the Fee. Road crossing could easily have been solved with a foot-bridge. Grand stand spectators couldn't see much. Why have a big screen and NOT use it to show footage of the course? If Age-groupers aren't important to ITU, then don't include them!”

“Event good but at shirt would have been nice! - Race pack wasn't very good-at shirt and clearer communication that only blue bag could be left in bag drop would have been good.”

“A great race but needs improvements. - Firstly thanks to all the organizers that put on this event, I know that it takes a massive effort. Just want to echo on comments already said. Layout of village way too constricted and confusing,not enough shade. T.shirt would have been great. Don't mind paying but all sold out. Race brief couldn't hear you Paul you needed a mike, and I'm so short I couldn't see the screens. Water and coconut water a rip off. More healthy options for food. Loved the fact the swim was only 500! Perfect course.”

“No enough level for international event - TA could be organized better, improve expo participants, bike mechanics should be available in the official hotel”

“Fabulous - What an experience!”

“Well Spent Day - Great Work - Good organization, good weather, great participants, nice crowd, clear water... Wish all events are like this one. ”

“There is a large opportunity for improvement - Details details details / how can you make it memorable for the athletes / the public did not even know there is an International Triathlon Union race?”

“Well organised , great day - Paul Venn and team excellent. Marshall at last bike turn not great. Marshals on course and Aid stations first class. Did not enjoy swim exit! ”

“Super - Super day, good organisation, good wether, good circuit for the sprint distance, so no track to do serval laps! About the photo's I don't know jet becaus I have not seen them. I've orderd a T-shirt but that never arrived, that was not very clear where to get it and how ect, after the race I was in an other level. Event giveaway's???? Keep it simpel that's good.”

“Great experience - Great event with many positive points, very well organised considering the amount of people participating and the bottleneck nature of the venue. Main noticeable shortcoming was the aid stations, getting hold of a cup of water has never been so hard! But overall great and looking forward to tackling the longer distance next year.”

“Fun Race - Great day out”

“Prizes for Age Group winners was a joke. - Organization fantastic. Amazing organization and atmosphere but trophies fell apart and were tiny and only 1st place was recognised and not even announced. My trophy did not even appear ?!”

“Great finish chute and fast race. Lots of fun... - Overall a very enjoyable event. Parking and getting to/from event was super easy. Race-briefing was acceptable, though Adventure HQ (Dubai) wasn't the best venue for hearing due to background noise Race info leaflet should have explained/diagram for transition. I saw many of the first-timer athletes going the wrong way. Swim course could have been more clearly marked, especially the exit pontoon - a yellow buoy by the exit would have worked a treat! ”

“A good event but a bit stingy with the prizes - As an age grouper, I paid to enter the event. I paid to fly to Abu Dhabi for the event for me and my wife along with taxi, meal and accomodation costs. An expensive outing. I enjoyed the event, but was a bit miffed when I had to buy my own finishers T shirt! I believe it's the age groupers that make the event happen. Then at the age grouper prize awards only the first across the line in the overall event received an award! Sad! Have yet to see photo's. ”

“Course & briefing to review - I would like to flag that people doing triathlon in age group wants to have fun and a start wave by 150 peopl is not fun at all.Also in the sea when we have 700 meters it will eb nice to have intermediate bouet for guidance On the bike the road was narrow and this small white dot are dangerous.On the run, you designe the run with turnaround points, make sure to have 10km next tim Race briefing, we cannot be 150 in 1 room packed like hell.Cycle support station was dangerous with bottles on road”

“Amazing event but can be better - Loved the overall event. I had an excellent day competing on very fast course. Their is something special biking down the corniche with no cars. Also excellent seeing the pros, was a shame it was so quiet. The giveaways were poor for the amount paid, another drawstring bag is great, but you get that from much cheaper events. More shade would have been good. My other complaints is no one told us we needed our race number to get the bike out of transition, this was stated in instructions.”

“Awesome event! - Great fun and atmosphere. Swim was cramped with the tight angle to the first bouy. Collection from transition was long as restricted access out. Amazing location and support from all involved!”

“An excellent event with a few fixable faults - There was a lack of shade for spectators and competitors pre/post their event, and the exit route from transition afterwards could have been better.”

“Great event , exciting and entertaining - Please improve on space and infrastructure to allow better access and exit from transition areas post event.”

“Fantabulous!!! - Organization was great! It's amazing to finish on the famous ITU blue carpet in front of grandstands, the same finish line as the elite and world's best athletes. Watching the elites racing is amazing. Fantasticly fabulous race indeed!”

“Great event, well done - Won an age group prize, 3rd 55-59, how do I collect it.”

“A good race but plenty of room for improvement - A huge shout out for the volunteers without whom these races wouldn't take place. Organisation for this event was well below par - access/egress route to the transition area lacked any foresight and it was utter carnage when opened after the race. With athletes expected to carry bicycles and equipment up and down staircases this needs a re-think. Bag drop storage was insufficient, bags too small and under resourced to cope with post race collection. Waste of time filling 'giveaway' bags - v poor”

“Great race overall only minor tweaks to improve it - Difficult to sight bouys on the swim and impossible to locate the exit pontoon - maybe large bright flags at the exit ramp? loved all the kayaks out on the water, felt very safe and help to keep me in line. Bike and run legs very well organized and easy to navigate. biggest problem was anyone I asked a question to within the site didn't have a clue as to the answer so getting problems solved or just finding things was a bit trial and error, volunteers hugely supportive on course, great event”

“Excellent - The food and beverage area and general layout was very constricted and not very family friendly, the stairs over the raceway made access difficult and fire hazard, the access to the transition area pre and post race was also constricted. otherwise the great. the F+B could have located up near the beach area for the swim start.”

“Great event, thank you! - Can't vote on the photo service as I haven't seen any yet. Lovely event and great atmosphere, very well thought out in general. ”

“Needs to improve - Beautiful course but the village layout and communication standards need improvement. I also did not appreciate that the only cycling aid station was at the end of a downhill where you would be travelling fast (couldn't make use of it). Medal design/quality was a disappointment too.”

“Fantastic day - great to see the pro's in action - Great event, pro's race was amazing - both mens and womens. Event was very well organised”

“Great location, nice course, well supported - Great location but not enough space for both spectators and competitors, especially post race - it was chaos getting back our blue bags and checking out bikes. Course was good, well supported, good aid stations etc. Giveaways were very poor for the money - 550dhs and all we got was a medal which didn't even have the year on it. Poor in comparison to other races where you at least get a tshirt. Overall a nice race, but space planning and logistics for post race need improving. ”

“Great - Great course, race director organization, technical officials and volunteers”

“Close to perfect! - Things to improve..bike collection at 12:30 was JAMMED with 1 exit only. Transition area so full, blocked the last waves of sprint distance athletes. Need another exit out of venue. Having to lug gear/bike/wetsuit through food area, up the stairs (!) was very difficult thru congestion! Athletes village needs to be bigger. Blue goody bags too small, couldn't fit much gear in them.Bag collection area too small/crammed for other bags. Bag collection overwhelmed at end w huge LINE!”

“Well organised and a good event - That bridge of the start finish area was a real bottle neck and a pain to carry your bike over, layout could be better but it was a good event. ”

“Wery nice event - Generaly evrithing is prfect. Have a luck for next time also !”

“Excellent event - my first triathlon - Everything was superb with a couple of exceptions: - No "FINISHER" t-shirt. I would have paid for this. - Organizers ran out of the official event t-shirt. So no souvenir from this wonderful event. If there is feedback, please communicate with me the "lost and found" contacts as I lost my watch in transition.”

“Not bad for first effort but could be better - Not bad for a first effort but could be better. Expo was very badly laid out and very congested with all the competitors. Course was ok but with some unnecessary tight turns and silly placing of water station on the bike course (after downhill section, really??) Thought medal was very nice and better than massive ones given in other events. access for participants and spectators involved crossing the course a few times”

“Great atmosphere, registration fee too high - Great atmosphere, and overall the organisation was good, a few teething problems but nothing that would spoil the experience. Would love to see markers on the bike/run, as well as a ceremony for top 3 AG, and definitely missed the buzz of the Pro's on the course like last year and the opportunity to support them! For the registration fee, a good quality event souvenir (just the one) is a minimum.”

“Great event well organized - Thank you for a great race day. Everything worked smoothly and happened on time. I would suggest to have more toilets - some of them closer to the start and maybe some in the transition area as well. Thanks for all the hard work that went into the day!”

“Good one but low value for money - The course was quite good overall. The swim exit (pontoon) was a bit challenging but it was fun. We were a bit disappointed by the giveaways. No t-shirt or any nice souvenir from the race? We had to buy those... Moreover with such a race (and such a high registration fee) we were expecting nicer/heavier medal. ”

“A good experience overall - * Disappointment that the sprint distance wasn't a proper tri - ie 500m instead of 750m. * The people at the Registration office not well informed re the event in general - they couldn't answer simple questions about the course or even tell you when the results would be posted. So need to be better briefed. * There were relatively few water stations - giving out whole bottles of water when all you need is a few sips. * No shade for waiting participants. * No shade for spectatators.”

“Expected much more from ITU as a company - Aid stations very poor, with not enough voluntaries and they weren't prepared to support the participants. Have to point also that at least the 3 first positions for the age groupers should receive something from ITU to remember the effort during the event. In general a good event with a very weak points that could made the day perfect. ”

“A well organized race .... - Thank you to Paul and all the volunteers. It was a great day. The transition signage and spacing could have been better, but this is the only detail in terms of race organization and communication. The Medal and give always were poor, a finisher shirt would have been great!”

“Overall good experience - Everything was fine, except bike rack in transition - more security should be put there and more space for individual bikes. Biking tracks were somewhere narrow, while there was too many places where pedestrians were putting all of us at risk. Other than that everything was fine.”

“Great, well organised event. Worth 550 AED? No. - Slight cue at bag collection only let down. minor complaint. Not great for give-aways / free t-shirts etc. probably not great value for money. Well organised and happy, helpful volunteers. More water in chill-put area.”

“Excellent, albeit crowded village - Very crowded expo and hard to move around, especially with bikes and kit Bike station should not be at bottom of downhill Excellent atmosphere”

“A perfect one - A perfect one. ”

“The Best ! - Great face course, the swim route was reallygood, although im not sure why it was only 500m for the sprint swim.... the cycle was fast as was the run. my Favourite Tri yet.”

“A great day out...a pity pros were not with us - Results out promptly which wa great. Really needed to have pro race at the same time. Desperately sad that they competed with virtually no support yet a couple of thousand could have been there. A let down on this point compared to last year. Bike area was busier than usual. Doing the maxi swim it would have been helpful to have more buoys helping mark the way at a time when sun was rising. I think I wasted about 100 meters of effort. Also getting out of water you need steps as per triyas ”

“No Age Group Medal Ceremony - Guys....no age group medal ceremony was very disappointing. We found out there were medals in the information tent and informed a few people who were already in the carpark leaving. We won our Olympic Relay and got one trophy between 3 of us! Security guards didn't seem to know that there was a medal ceremony, the guard behind the grandstand sent us to the one on the front who advised we had to go from behind.”

“Great event but very cramped conditions. - I think time should be made to get all the Young athletes on the podium. As many did really well in their age groups and teams without any recognition. The venue is way too small. Thank you to all of the excellent Marsalls who gave up their weekend to help out. I prefered previous Abu Dhabi Tri format - better location and organisation. ”

“Age group ceremony was missing - The event was okay, however you let us wait for the age group ceremony to tell us that there is not ceremony for age group the ceremony is only per open category. As I won my category that was a little bit disappointing, in that case you should maybe skip the categorizations overall. Peter”

“Great event but feel signage could improve - I understand that it's the athlete's responsibility to familiarise oneself with the course but I missed the turn for second lap on the Olympic distance bike leg and I had studied the map and attended briefing. Basically, I think it would help if you could make the font on the sign for the turns as big as the motivational signs ("you've got this! Etc) I was already level with the turn sign when I first saw it, so I guessed it was alerting me to the upcoming turn. Otherwise, excellent event!”

“Great race. well organised - Would love to have distance markers on the run and bike courses”

“Missing Abu Dhabi Triathlon - As always a beautiful place to race but felt the village was way too cramped. At times dangerous with so many people on the move and after the race getting out with bikes etc was a mess. Not a patch on previous years organisation and quality. A real shame. ”

“Horrible organization - It was very poorly organized. The "briefing session" was horrible, you couldn't hear anything or see the tv. On the day of racking,we asked 3 ITU officials to inform us of start/finish for each category from the transition area, we got 3 different answers. As a result we wasted time going out of the wrong exit during the race (we, as in I heard many people had the same issue). During racking, they are supposed to give chips, we forgot to ASK so we never got any. Surely the ITU can do better.”

“Km signs would be good - It was a great event for the course - it would have been nice if KM signs were on the route for runners. It was also hard to get out of the swim- I was glad that there were two guys who could pull me out - i noticed the elite athletes also looked like they had a similar issue. For the cost of the event and the nature of the event - I think the medal could have been a little more special.”

“Very nice race - There were not preliminary results available, or i didn't find them anywhere. Organization of bike check out was absolutely chaos - this needs to improve for next year. Otherwise nice tri-day”

“Awesome venue, communication needs improving. - Instead of "briefings throughout the day" published actual times in race guide. I found the first briefing at 1 PM when I arrived at 11 AM. As I hd two grandchildren under five, I had to come back for the 5 PM briefing. Awards will be giving to Age Group winners should be worded as an award will be given to 1st Place in each Age Group. In all other triathlons that completed, 1st, 2nd and 3rd received awards. Again, as I took 2nd, I waited around an extra hour and a half to find out I got none.”

“Superb but with room for improvement - I enjoyed the race very much. I felt safe during my participation. The bike collection after the race could be improved by providing an exit gate or corridor from the transition all the way out without interfering with by standers. Looking forward to the next event!”

“Venue fantastic. Villa organization no so much. - The organization is far away from past years. I worked as volunteered four years ago and I did not see this year the same amount of stations and organization from past events. I did not like the villa, to crowed and it was very difficult to leave with the bicycles, even dangerous. Same as the other comments, the medal is very simple and not even the year engraved it. ”

“Overall feel dissapointed - It was nice to be doing a tri in the heard of Abu Dhabi but I am disappointed with the event in general. Event set up was poor and the layout was terrible. TAs always the staff and volunteers made it work so thank you to them. The course was pretty good on swim and run but bike it was ok. Give always and medal were very poor. I kinda feel cheated. There is no way this event should have teething problems. Its an ITU event. I am going Challenge from now on.”

“Stunning location, let down by cramped village - Swim course was good but exit very poor. Unnecessary tight hair pin turns at the start of the cycle, you could have made the end longer so make up miles. Run route ok but no KM count downs Shame no one was handing out water at the end! Luckily weather was on our side Awfully cramped village and terribly dangerous pedestrian bridge, not easy for families or people with bikes! Medal was a bit disappointing, no date! Hopefully teething issues will be sorted next year ”