“Consult with TriYas on how to organize triathlon - The Triathlon is over priced compared to the give away, setup and the medal. No events for the family. When I compare it to triyas. In triyas we had great family day. Here I felt it is a pure commercial event with no giving back. To bensure fair the race course is great. Cold sponge was very helpful. Swimming in the Gulf water was fun. Just consider price and give something out.”

“A good atmosphere, but many thing can be made bett - Too much people in the transition-zone during the race. No food, not enough to drink in the finish-zone after the race. The medal-ceremony for the agegroupers - we couldn't get any information where and there was no ceremony for the Maxi-distance. ”

“Needs Improvement - Race communication is good but there is a lot of room for improvement. Event giveaways and finisher medals are below par for an international event like this. Photo service is bad. The run route was slippery for the section that was on the pavement which is not only hazardous but also makes the runner slow down.”

“Great - Tks”

“Not up to par - While some issues from last year were addressed this year seemed to bring up more- drafting, unclear signage on the course (5km run turn), transition crowded with spectators while waves in progress, insufficient variety of refreshments at the end of the race”

“Several Things for Improvement - The design of the medal is the same as of last year. There was no water station on the middle of the Bike leg. No Food! Where is the food after the race. No Banana. No Juice. We do not need RedBull drink as it is not good for the Athlete. We need post race food. ADIT is far far Better wherein ITU sponsored by IPIC should be the best. How come? Anyhow, there is plenty of room for improvement.”

“Maybe my expectations were too high! - Heard many great things about this event and that was the deciding factor in registering. But I have mixed feelings. I was definitely disappointed with lack of "giveaways" and not even a banana at the finish. However, the marshalls and course were great and there definitely was a great atmosphere with the professionals riding afterwards As a "recreational" triathlete I missed refuelling my calorie deficit at brunch afterwards!!!”

“Poor value for money - Very poor communications around the proze giving for Age Groupers poor prozes for age groupers good bag only had a can of red bull”

“Enjoyed race, race officials poorly briefed. - Enjoyed event but was inconsistent in it's organisation.Collection at bag drop after race was chaos,stood over 40 minutes in sun before entering tent.Disappointed we had to clear bikes from transition by midday(race book said 7pm)and we had planned to watch Elites. As we had no where to secure bikes,we left and didn't watch elites.So much emphasis placed on 'no drafting' on bike leg, but drafting was rife. Friday practice of swim leg should be advertised, we found out by sheer luck.Enjoyed race.”

“Fine event overall, with goods and bads... - Packet pickup and bike drop off was fine. Closing transition at the start of the maxi race was, I am sure frustrating for the sprint distance racers who had limited access while starting two hours later. Swim course was fine once explained, but confusing until we were in the water. A few sharp turns on the bike, including the one at the end - a bit of a pile up. Run course a bit slippery at the aid stations. Bag check pickup was crazy long. Details to work on for next year...”

“Good but expected more - World class event and amazing venue/setting. Surprisingly the organization this year was not at the same level as last year: - not enough medals for everyone - the bikes rental was not organized, EXTREMELY expensive and not very helpful - for the price you pay you expect a higher service quality”

“ITU - you can do it better! - Familize with swim course on Friday shouldn't only be sprint course. Too many none-athletes were in the transition zone. No race marshalls gave penalties the be the groups drafting on the bike course. More voulenteers at the aid stations to handout water/energy, so athletes don't have to stop up and take from the tables themselves. Cheap medal - my medal broke, so I had to get a new one.”

“Average - The setting and courses were superb, however there were not any toilet facilities on the run course and no water stations on the bike course - this was disappointing. It was expensive for what it was and zero give-aways such as tee-shirts, a medal should be a requisite for finishers so should not count as a give-away. The marshaling and organisation were superb and although several aspects could be improved, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Many thanks ”

“Disappointing poor value for money - Volunteers very helpful,however awards ceremony confusing as didn't award age groups? Some people were not even awarded?! The whole race consisted of 'Red Bull'-sugar free too!??? No one really knew the swim course as there was no brief and so many buoys. Lacked any food/fruit/flat coke on the run course and the cold sponges were huge! Continuous drafting packs on the bike. Athletes rushed out of the finish area to quickly collect their bikes. No 'goody bag' for such a highly priced event.”

“Excellent Triatlhon - Excellent venue and organization! 100% recommended. Only negative is the Price for the pictures! too much expensive”

“Priorities clear now: commercial. Forget amateurs - It's ok trying to become big, famous and successful. It's ok to break even or earn some money. But don't pretend to organize a mass sport event when you disrespect some of the age groupers the way you did. Finishing the maxi distance <6 hours is not self-evident. Having this time cut by foreseeable (later) time of the sunrise is irritating. Being cheered on into transition only to find the way blocked without anybody there to communicate or support (water anyone?) is downright disrespectful.”

“Cool event, will take part again - There should be more water available in the stadium after the race. Event photographs are horribly expensive. Other than that a very cool event.”

“Overall disappointed - I travelled from Ireland to participate. I thought it was expensive but felt it may be worth it. I was happy that there was an opportunity to do a practice swim but it would have been great to be able to register for the race after this. The marshal on the door at the registration was incredibly rude to me when I asked what time it was open at. The race itself was lovely, nice route & was well marshalled. When I finished it I was disappointed not to get a finisher medal or any sort of a pack. ”

“Good race - All okay except one big point: 1. The start of the Junior Aquathlon was delayed by 1 HOUR(!) whilst waiting for the road to clear for the Elite pre-race practive (on Friday). This was unacceptable as children were dehydrating badly in strong sun after all the waiting to start and then waiting a further hour. The Junior Aquathlon should have been completely deconflicted from all other activities.”

“Great venus, poorly organized. - Very disappointed. The organizers were rude. Race started late. I did the Maxi distance. Distance on the run was wrong. 21.5 km not 20. aid stations were not positioned correctly. No give aways. Medal was vey cheep. It seemed that they only cared about the main professional olympic race. Results were very late to post. ”

“The organisers need to listen to Race ME! - The event was quite poor overall but perhaps expectations are high as this race carries the ITU name. Regardless its not well organised and needs a complete review. Lets hope the organisers listen to comments and local expertise and its better next year.”

“An inspiring experience - A great event, inspiring to participate, but there are several operational aspects that need attention. The athletes' guide needs to contain the correct information; many of the timings were different from those published. There should be more open-ness about the age categories. The start list contained a "60+" category for the Sprint race, but the results combine all the "50-59" and "60+" into a "50+" category. It's the first time I've started a race not realising who I was competing against.”

“Dissapointed - The race was badly organized and revolved around the pro race. The race brief was not clear and on a video. I would suggest to send a link next time as we didn't have to go to the race venue. The swim route for the maxi was confusing. There were no marshals on the road. I could not get help when I needed. I was injured and I couldn't get the help needed and the volunteers were not aware of what to do. Aid stations were not enough and ran out of nutrition. I did 2014 race it was amazing. ”

“ITU MADE BIG MONEY FROM MAXI RACE - Firstly thank you to the Volunteers, they did a good job on the course. Swim course was unclear so many bouys around with same colours. I believe it was drafting race because most were drafting and I didn’t see the plenty area. RED BULL was the joke of the day, free on race day which usually they give free everyday and everywhere if you go and since when Red Bull was race drink. Award ceremony was terrible no awards for Maxi age group they just give +30 and +40 it was a joke, we paid Dhs 750 ”

“Could have been better - Could be better for next time. Add Signage on how to get out of the transition area, had to go around the rows and ask someone. Add signage for first aid throughout the event area. Better email comms for first timers. Organisers should have a different colour shirt to easily recognise them. Marshalls and volunteers were great. Other organisers seem like they couldn't be bothered. Better giveaways for the money spent, like a shirt. ”

“An overall good day out... - Spectators too far from the Transition area. Purchased merchandise from online shop to collect at event. Nothing available to collect - mis-sold in online store - no xxxl size t shirt. No FINISHER T Shirt very disappointing. No merchandise available in my size xxxl. Disappointing.”

“Poor Event and Very Expensive - The Good: They were able to switch my race category from Olympic to sprint after the official cut off easily. There was a mistake in my results were was rectified quickly and without fuss. The waves went off promptly and on time. The Bad: Location and venue not great and badly laid out. They ran out of finisher medals at one point. Bag drop/collection very unorganised. Course had narrow sections with tight turns. No marshals on the course and both the run and cycle courses badly signed. ”

“Good event. Poor support stations & pre-race info - I'm not sure the support stations were particularly clean and I had an incredibly upset stomach after the event and other competitors had the same complaint. The pre-race info was not sufficient and it was difficult to track down the race pack. At registration my race pack was incomplete and missing all the stickers which caused hassle and stress having to track them down on the day. The Dubai race collection was not in a convenient location.”

“No way you can do poorer - I think most of improvements have already been listed by other competitors, here are some more: -results on an autralian webpage ? -aid station couldn't give water but had blocks of ice in the bin -seems the organizer didn't read the Rebull can (not suitable during sports activities), is that not English? -received an empty sealed Redbull can in my bag -are Bananas too expensive to give -any idea who stole the gels ? -organizer doesn't reply to the ratings..... -From here you can only improve ”

“Unimpressed - The race pack was pathetic, I did not even get the race booklet. The pre race briefing (14.00) a sweaty wage of time. Mess of buoys on swim course. Was there a timing channel? Never mentioned. Delayed start to maxi because still dark? Did no-one check what time the sun was due to come up? Aid station positionings not good and Redbull???? Really???? Huge queue for bag pick up & no race results was final straw. I had podium place and have nothing to show for it, not even a reply to my email query.”

“Disappointing organization at the day of the race - Without neglecting the good:-) - parking instructions/guidance - mix of multiple events at one venue: seemed un-planned - heat and sun impact: limited consideration - transition: multiple events and clearing - drafting: no observers or penalties - run: trajectory was used by pedestrians - reclaiming bag - food after completion - picture service: poor pics - grand stand and finish access ”

“Absolutely disspaointed - Being the first who started running, nothing was set up. The water stations were not ready to deliver drinks, so I couldn't drink anything till the second lap, nobody was ready in the turning point to tell where did I have to turn and just passed and had to come back after 200 m. The prize giving was supposed to be done at 13:00 and was done at 12:15 so me and my wife missed and nobody knew how to give us the prizes. I expected better organization than last year.”

“Great event but the bike route very dangerous - This was my 2nd Triathlon ever. I did my 1st Triathlon 1 week ago at Yas Marina Circuit (Tri Yas). ITU Triathlon is by far a better event i.e. better organised, atmosphere and better recognition for WOMEN. The award giving at the TRI YAS Triathlon started while the WOMEN were still on the course. Reason given DAMAN CEO needed to leave earlier. Thank you ITU for including all participants in your organisation. I definitely felt included! Enjoyed my 2nd Triathlon and had a super day! ”

“A nice event, - A good event and a nice start for my triathlon career. I feel you need to provide a rest area for us non professional runners at the finish line. This area needs to be cooled down, covered from the sun and maybe provide plenty of after race water and snacks.”

“Room for improvement - Many thanks to all the volunteers who work hard to make the event enjoyable for the participants. Organisationally: bag storage and collection was poorly handled and entrance into and out of transition post race needs to be re-thought to avoid biq queues and disruption to those still competing. ”

“Not impressed. Redbull as aid? Are you for real? - I paid 800AED for this race for what? A can of Redbull and a medal! As I came into the finishing area from my run there was marshals and other people blocking my way. No solid nutrition on the course or at the end of the race. Would a few banana of gone amiss? Aid (if you can call it that) stations too close together for the maxi distance. Overall this race has potential but rethinking the route, the aid stations and a few little "gifts" would be better”

“Not sure it's worth the money - Hi, in short, I liked the course, was the second time I do it. Abu Dhabi International Triathlon was much better and you should have keep it. goods are really bad compare to what you pay. and to top it up, I didn't get any medals. disaster.”

“Too many participants in too small a space. - Organisation was very poor, especially after the race. My brother-in-law did not receive a medal as they had run out. Provision of drinks and food after the race was pathetic. It took almost as long to retrieve the bike and bag as to do the race.”

“Too Expensive for the Basic Organisation - Having really looked forward to the event location I felt really let down. The packs contained nothing aside from the bare minimum required to participate. I ordered a running singlet online that was never made and they wouldn't refund my money, so that was a complete rip off. I eventually managed to talk to the merchandise team who let me have a normal t-shirt but this was very disappointing. I queued for over an hour to get my bag back in the sun. There was no drinks outside the finish area”

“Excellent Event - Even better this year with junior races on Friday and Age Groupers on Saturaday make for an excellent weekend”

“Enjoyed the event - Flat tire was fixed promptly ”

“Reclamo - El juzgamiento no debe ser expulsion de los atletas del evento, en mi caso fui expulsado injustamente,en ningun momento el juez mostro la tarjeta negra, si hubo llamado de atencion en el ciclismo, pero no era motivo de expulsion, en el grupo que se formo en el ciclismo siempre se mantuvo las distancias. Conclusion no aparezco clasificacion final del evento mi numero de competencia fue el 2043, al menos publiquen el resultado señalando alguna penalizacion. gracias agradezco su respuesta”

“Poor give aways and organization - The give aways and medal were not value for money. The event marshals like the one at the registration desk and the one at the start of the swim were the same and was not at all hospitable or welcoming. She in fact came across as someone rude. ”

“The worst event I have taken place this year - Race pack collection crowded not enough space Swim course was a joke with dozen of buoys that were there for other resons, many competitors cut the course: ridicoulos! No toilet on the course Poor signage overall Slippery run course Junior race and age groups podiums: no trophies. Really pathetic. All in all taking money from competitors and giving nothing back.”

“Zero value for money - I had high expectations but was disappointed. Race started before sunrise and we had to make our final preps in the dark using our cell phone lights - the place not not properly lit. The swim was in complete darkness and many people ended up swimming off course (buoys were not enough and were confusing) Not enough aid stations on the bike Fees too expensive for very little in return- Challenge and IM give much better value (race bag, finisher jackets, aid, village, party, dinners etc.)”

“Great fun - even more improvements since 2015 - It was great to see how the organisers improved on the race following 2015. The layout an facilities in the general area at the Marina were fab. Lots of space, seating & shade. The parking for this event is excellent. A great race, well planned, superb volunteers who all knew what they were doing, and were well informed. Thank you to everyone who was involved :D”

“Very disappointed, big waste of money. - First collection pack not easy and long wait before checking bike. Then route swim course not clear, bike in-bike out on same place like bike in-swim out , run aids stations to clooser on maxi distance (first time I see redbull on triathlon), exit transition area through run finish. After no T shirt finisher, drop bag too far, no time result online or bad on certificate. Only positive point: thank you to the volunteers and to the public for their encouragement. I enjoyed TRI YAS, not this.”

“Poor signage, poor organization, crowded, bad plan - MUST HAVE Km signage on bike and run routes Marshals did not know proper turns on 5 k run; turned many runners early Start/finish area was crowded and poorly laid out No post tri food long lines everywhere Restroom facilities did seem better this year...thanks! Do appreciate the Friday practice swim ”

“Fantastic good event - Great thanks to all organizers and participants. It was a great day for me. 5 Years ago I made a goal for myself to participate in the Worldover prestige Abu Dhabi triathlon. My dreams fullfilled. Olafs Kengis - doctor anaesthesiologist from Latvia. The only suggestion - I would like to know my results!!!! Please send me on e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]”

“Way worse than last year - We tried to find out what time transition closed on race day but there was no information in the pack and ITU didn't reply to the Facebook query until the day of the event so we got there 3 hours early. There was no finishing medal which is extremely disappointing as they said they had none left! The volunteers didn't know the transition entries or exits. Poor selection and not enough hydration on the course. Poorly organised this year. Disappointing! Waste of money.”

“Good event - The jersey collection was a mess, my order was not recorded, though i did order one and paid for. It would have been less confusing to pick up the jersey from the Dubai bib collection area to avoid quing twice. The timing chip collection lady was hiding behing a huge pile of bikes and could not be seen, when we checked in our bikes no one reminded us to collect the chip. Chip should have been right there with the bike check in! ”

“A great course for newcomers to the sport - Too many sharp turns on the bike course and at the approach to the run / finish line. The turn at the half way on the sprint run was not clearly identified. It would be good to receive notification of the results instead of having to search the web.”

“Poor value - 7 people (photographers & volunteers) impeding transition route when trying to leave on bike - shouldn't have to squeeze past. Medal is shocking - the only event I've ever done where the year isn't on the medal. No t-shirt (again). Prevented from bringing bike back through transition when leaving & had to go all the way the village entrance - but pedestrians were being allowed through. Rubbish entrance to finish. Overall very poor value - Yas Tri was much better.”

“Not worthy fees and adventure - Bad organisation, miss course specially swim (people get lost), cycling too risky. photo service are very bad & result incorrect. overall 3/10 i wish ITU to be cancel & we have back ADIT ”

“Great event - Shame to not get a medal or a T shirt, all sold out and they looked really cool. Disappointed.”

“Good event - .”

“A lot worse since ITU involvement. - Swim route was very confusing, and poorly explained on the morning. Drafting was rife during the bike leg with nothing seemingly done to stop/prevent this. Enough aid stations on the run, but poorly placed - one at the far turn around would have been preferred. Giveaways/medal were extremely poor considering the price of the event - different medal for each distance/finisher t-shirt shouldn't be too hard to organise. Marshals very good. New bike aid station was well placed and stocked. ”

“Fantastic location, great organisation - Would have been even better if the supporters could have been able to watch the transition. I was hoping for some help with a puncture at the bike service point at the far turnaround These are really minor niggles as loved the event”

“Course fantastic, Organisation & Value Terrible - Seems all the earlier reviews already listed the omissions, mistakes, lack of planning and general cost cutting and greed. Quite simply put this event is considerably more expensive than the others in the region and despite the great course venue and the big name of the ITU it delivered less than all the others to its competitors. If the ITU wants to put on events for its elite athletes only then no issue go ahead and do that but dont invite amateurs then treat them poorly so you can fund it. ”

“Money stealing event - Such a waste of money. First of all, the swim was outrageous, no one knew where to go and the buoys were stupidly placed (nothing like the guide). The bike course was almost like a draft legal course, and the run was the worst - no electrolytes or anything else offered except for REDBULL! who drinks that during a Tri!! The turn for next lap was NOT CLEAR at all and many of us took the wrong turn adding kms to the run distance. More expensive from last year and worse this year - MONEY BLINDED!! ”

“Event declined compared to last year, - There is a strong feeling that saving was everywhere. - drinks served from the cups, slippery running track around the watering stations - running on the gridlock - massive drafting on the bicycle race - on the exit, there were no access to the surrendered luggage area, meaning that competitors were forced to walk a long distance, out from the bicycle area towards Marina Mall, and enter the ITU village again. - Massive organization chaimprovements are required for the next year!”

“Original AD Triathlon soon much better in every wa - FIRST THANKS TO TERRIFIC VOLUNTEERS,BUTLots of conflicting information from organizers.some people didn't even get to do practice swim.due to no wristband- Venue cramped. transition area cramped, no giveaways, no prep dinner, no food after,tight bike lanes and turns, slippery walkways for the run and the medal....same as last year..beyond cheap,no date on the medal, cheap ribbon from the souk. Where are the results??Look back at the original Abu Dhabi Triathlon in 2012..A REAL CLASS ACT”

“Poorly organised and far too expensive - Poor organisation and very expensive, not worth it. Lovely course but far too busy with too many athletes and narrow bike course and run course. Too many athletes slowing down quicker athletes and making it dangerous to pass. Bag drop was a nightmare, waiting 45 mins post race in the heat was very badly organised. Bike checkout badly organised, sent to 4 different exits by marshals in the check out all giving different instructions. Race village better than last year but still logistically poor”

“Expensive but enjoyed the day - Thanks to all the volunteers who worked really hard over the two days. The course was great but the cycle turns were a little tight! Transition area too tight. The finish needs to be better organised as we had to go back to collect our medals. There should be a better finishers area to recover. A link to the results from the ITU website would be good. Medal was ok, poor event giveaways [particularly given cost] and photos are extortionate price. Enjoyed the day but lots of room for improvement. ”

“Maxi Dist athletes missed out big time - No age group podiums announced for Maxi Dist even though price was highest Inconsistent athlete manual compared to advice given on the day ie. Manual said racks would not be numbered but they were Too many buoys in sea - hard to find correct buoys Red Bull bad choice of sports drink. I was offered 'sugarfree' red bull when all we need is sugar to keep us going Aid stations inadequate for long course Lanes too narrow.Overtaking drafting bunches was problem Sprint dist u-turn was a collision risk ”

“Nice venue, but disorgainsed - Pack collection took ages, one person taking the number & checking ID then another person locating the envelope - getting into transition was also difficult, on the day the course was lovely and very beautiful with good marshaling. The finish was chaos with some people not even given a medal, getting the bike and the bag from the bag drop was also chaotic. The timing chip has left me with a big sore scratch all around my ankle. The event was very expensive and better run when AD Tri. ”

“Thank you. - Event village layout very good - so much better than last year - heaps more shade and seating. Bike and run Course directional signage and marshalling clear. great volunteers - thank you. Pontoon start was great A really detailed course map for each distance including aid stations/ turn around points/ toilets, transitions in and out etc would have answered most people's questions :) thank you for a great weekend of events the Peloton riders should be stopped:(”

“World class event but low class giveaways. - Low quality event bag and a medal that didn't differentiate between the various distance options were disappointing, given the high entry fee and the world class event the ITU is. Some sharp turns on the bike, otherwise a good course.”

“ITU should be ashamed !! - What a poor performance for a global Triathlon player.”

“Just bring Abu Dhabi Int. Triathlon back - You can do better when compared to Abu Dhabi Int. Triathlon ”

“Poor - I'm taking podium 2 years in a row and both times not being called to podium. Race director Gary promised to get back on that My friend cannot find his result in finish list. Awful!”

“Opportunity to improve by ITU! - Firstly thank you to the volunteers, they did a good job on the course, shouting clear instructions at turn points and cheering people on! Swim: course was unclear (too many buoys of same colour), Bike: many people drafting & not following passing rules, Run: get only Red Bull in the last "water" station, course & T1/2 could be wider. No finish food (banana) available or any giveaway. In the end, the volunteers were friendly, helpful & cheerful. Thanks to these guys that made the day enjoyable. ”

“Very disappointing. Abu Dhabi International much b - 1. Why not make the swim for the sprint 750m. This would save a lot of confusion as you would either complete 1 lap for the spin or two laps of the buoys for the Olympic. 2. Red Bull supplied on aid stations. Beyond belief. 3. Ordered and paid a T shirt online. I received my recipt No and was Informed to collect it upon registration. upon requesting it I was Informed that they were sorry but they had no record of me. This is after showing them my receipt and proof of payment of 130aed ”

“Paid a lot but not impressed by organization - Course demarcation for the swim was a complete mess leaving the first 50 or so swimmers completely confused after the 1st buoy and the guys in the kayaks weren't of much help. Next time maybe try not to drop a dozen or so buoys in the water or at least make sure every course/distance in the water has their unique color. If the course map had resembled the swim course, that may also have helped. Bike course had some very narrow turns, especially the u-turn right before dismount with 1.5m radius.”

“Still not as good when it was Abu Dhabi Triathlon - For an international event the transition area and signage was poor..few people not knowing what was happening or they hadn't been told....ran out of medals!...redbull sugar free on the run???...poorly stocked water stations...marshalls unable to keep public off run area...so often was running through people wandering around...not good at all...don't think I'll be back...will stick to Mamzar beach or Jebel Ali in future”

“Expecting more from an ITU sanctioned race - Poorly organised event with confusion both at the start and finish. This appeared to have been held in order to raise money for the ITU and showcase the World Championships- for age groupers it was done on the cheap and it showed. Drinks stations with Red Bull and water are insufficient (I carried my own Gu thankfully) Volunteers (thank you to them) were poorly briefed, medals were tinny and there was a general lack of logistical planning, e.g. on the route to exit transition after the race. ”

“Not enough support/ aid stations - Not enough support/ aid stations, not even Banana's are available. I didnt get the value of the money i paid as registration fee specially for the Maxi distance. Not even a finisher shirt. String bag was just filled with 1 red bull! ”

“Good course but.. - First of all, thank you to the volunteers. Unfortunately the race experience was let done by poor logistical support and organisation. Access to/from transition to bag pick up was very average like others have mentioned already. Trucks were coming and going through pedestrian areas throughout the day with children around. Poor form. ITU can do better. Registration pack was pretty much empty (a plastic bag and a can of red bull) Great course though and volunteers were great.”

“Good but not enough for age groups - I come from Italy so it's a long way to join this race. I would come for the third edition next year only if this event will be organized as an MDot/Challenge race. Take as an example the race Abu Dhabi Triathlon has held the passed years (before ITU). ”

“Unexpectedly Disappointing - Organizers should go back to the drawing board and check how International Triathlon events should be done. Swimming buoys at its worst arrangement. Too much room for improvement.”

“Last year's was better. Still no value for money - +: volunteers, course, changes to transition exit/entry and removal of footbridge, race pack collection at the village. -: blatant and persistent cheating on the bike course but not enough marshals, v tight turns on the bike, disorganized water stations, cheap medal, no goodie bag/tshirt or food at the end, long queue in the heat to collect race bags. Overall I thought last year's was better organized and it seems overpriced compared to other races in the UAE/GCC.”

“Great event but room for improvement - Great volunteers, great course. I liked the pontoon start, a big improvement to the beach start. Also designated place in transition is great. No food at finish line, not even a banana??? Bag pick up was chaotic. Too little information on the lay-out of the transition. Prize giving ceremony was advertised at 1pm but actually started way earlier and therefore many podium finishers missed their 1 minute of fame.”

“Nice venue, terrible organization - Terrible organization: no medals, food, or water at the finish; no working toilets at transition; no toilets on the course; aid stations ran out of water; no sports drink, only Red Bull; chaos for bag retrieval; no shirts or other goodies; dangerous u-turn just before the dismount line; Good: transition open for later waves; bike aid station out of the way of the course; plenty of volunteers who tried hard even if they didn't know what to do”

“Not great value for money and poor for spectators - 550 dirhams and no T-shirt. Toilets that were closed and not working for spectators . Long queues at bag pick up. don't get me wrong I think the course is great and the setting was great but the organization overall was poor. I know there were a lot of participants but due to the fact there were so many, the organization and facilities just didn't cope. I want to do this next year so I hope there were some lessons learned.”

“Good event but organisation needs more thought! - Firstly thank you to the volunteers, they did a good job on the course, shouting clear instructions at turn points and cheering people on!Organisation was poor: swim course was unclear (too many bouys of same colour), a video for race briefing isn't good - it needs human input - didn't think it was informative enough. Please don't put red bull at a water station, no food at finish? (banana), after collecting bikes we were forced outside whilst family stood inside wondering why we didn't return.”

“Great settings, shame about the rest - Not enough toilets in working order. I ordered merchandise but only part of it turned up and despite leaving my contact details haven't been contacted yet about getting the missing items or reimbursement. Too many people wandering around the transition area during the race. Race settings were great, though”

“Expected better - Few points for improvement: - Race information not available until day before race, late - Swim briefing not clear; many buoys in the water and ended up just following the rest - Cycle and run course is tight in places - Transition layout not ideal - Red Bull at watering stations, really?! It's all about health, right, and this is just about the unhealthiest drink out there! - Still can;t find the results on the website? - Was not aware there is a photo service? Where do I find this?”

“So much potential but..... - Swim course was unclear. This happened seconds before the gun "no, I think the other orange bhoy, next to the other building with the other kayaker". Many bike pelatons clearly working together, marshals???? Dangerous u-turn before dismount. Run was on slippy tiles. Not even a banana (or a medal for some) at the finish. Such great work to organise what could have been a great race let down by a lack of attention to some very important details. Other than a long list of things I had a great time.”

“Opportunity to improve - The layout of transition simply didn't work being way too narrow as well as the bike course. Very poor signage on the course. I missed the kilometer signs at least in the run. Was surprised to get only Red Bull in the last "water" station - absolute no go. Same for the Red Bull can in the rack pack. Quite a high entry fee for the experience. TriYas remains the benchmark in Abu Dhabi.”

“You would expect way better than this from ITU - You would expect way better than this from an ITU event and for the money spent!”

“An amazing event, but lacked organisation - My first ITU, was a little surprised and disappointed with the oganisation compared to other locally organized events”

“Very poor value for money - I noticed one guy racking his bike even the 2nd wave of the swim has already started. Long portions of the bike course were narrow, specially the U-turns. Considering this situation, there was not enough signage and the shocking peloton! No bananas or any food after the finish line. No shirt giveaway, really?”

“Great experience! - Great experience, it is expensive though.”

“A nice race that still bellow the excellence... - Compared to other similar events in UAE and in a value for the many aspects, still really bellow the average. Come on ITU! You know you can do better...”

“Superb course and Volunteers. Terrible otherwise - First the volunteers were friendly, helpful and cheerful. thanks to these guys that made the day enjoyable. The rest, no finisher t shirt, no water at the finish line with security pushing people away, swim course chaotic with people cheating, only red bull provided at one of the water station, nothing for the kids and family at the venue. To compare, TriYas 2016 had it all for half the price”

“Overall - Value Added.Recommend the organizers remember that very few of the 2200+ age groupers care about the professionals. Recommend trophies/metals are provided to age group podium finishers.Recommend having a few large screen tvs posting results.Ironman now owns the ITU Abu Dhabi rights, Recommend comparing the value added of a normal Ironman race to this years ITU. Yes, Ironman is expensive, but you Get a bag and finisher shirt, Then there are 2000+ Walking billboards. Perceived value added! ”

“Poorly organized - It seems that, year after year (including the previous ADIT format), this event deteriorates. Very poor giveaways (actually no giveaways), same medal every year, absolutely no food at the finish line, poor support stations, no finisher t-shirt, many people drafting (on the bike) without any sanctions, people cutting the swimming course without any sanctions, etc. This year there was a particularly disturbing situation as finisher's medals were not available at the finish line.”

“Lacked some structure - The good. The Age Group Guide, The website. The staff friendly at registration and the process was quick. Bike racks were well set up appropriate markings to indicate your spot. marshalls great. The bad. no details regarding race pack collection in dubai. Start time set while it was still dark. asked to be in wetsuit 15 mins before race start. then race start delayed by 15 mins. swim exit not clearly marked. drafting. bottle neck in transition, redbull no good. timing of AG ceremony. medal”

“Disappointed!!! - No further comments. All the facts already mentioned in the previous ratings. I`m really disappointed of the race compared to 2015. Even no toilets on the run leg:-(”

“Very disappointed @ Route Signage - I have taken part in all past versions of this event (Abu Dhabi Triathlon). This was clearly step down from past event organizations. My key complaint is the Route signage for the cycle course. I was in the sprint event but missed the route at the point where the cycle course branched into the 1-loop or 2-loop options. The signage was poor especially if you are on a bike going at 40km/h. Signs were unclear. I ended up taking the wrong route and ruining my event. Very displeased.”

“Disappointing - Compared to last year, this was chaos. Too much emphasis on the elites and the amateurs were neglected. Organisation was bad. ”

“poor organization - Waiting in the sun for kids to start for 30 minutes because organizer as not ready, waiting in the sun for 25 minutes to rack my bike on Friday because the organizer was not ready, Not allowed to swim on Friday because no wrist band with me. Poor aid stations, poor giveaways, poor marshals, no referee on the course, drafting in pelotons so you could not overtake, no medals after, poor food selection and entertainment, bag pick up disaster, poor race briefing, bike pick bad organized. expensive!”

“Many things to improve - Poor race pack, poor support stations in the run, no finisher t-shirt, no food at the finish line”

“I enjoyed racing but event was badly organised. - Wow! Toilet facilities dire/Non existent. After race bag drop was chaos and long line in the sweltering heat. Goody bag had zero goodies, so disappointing and cheap. Swim course was very badly marked with random buoys. Bike lanes were too narrow. Transition area had insufficient room, about 12 inches! Swim start in the dark! No toilets near transition. Inconsistent info pre race e.g. brochure said bike rack was Saturday initially. Run course slippy on tiles. Clearing transition post race chaos.”

“A good race, nice to be part of an ITU event - Probably the same as everybody else, transition was cramped and unlit at 6am which made preparation difficult. As an age-grouper in the maxi race I was reminded time and time again that I had to be off the course and out of transition at a certain time which got a little bit annoying. For the price of the event a decent t-shirt as a give-away should be included.”

“Poor value for money, cheap, no trophy, Triyas:) - Poor value for money, goody bag a joke, no trophy or even medal for winners, long queue for bag collection, 10 year age groups when ITU are 5 and it was 5 last year. I won free entry next year which is the only reason I will do it again. I will never pay to do this race in the future. Tri Yas next time. The venue and Raceme team are great. It is a shame ITU are so stingy.”

“Chaos everywhere - The information provided before the race were scarce. Transition zone was supposed to be closed for non-racers after 6:15,but people were wandering through it during race (annoying!) NO race briefing and no one at the start - accidentally started with maxi group while I was supposed to do Olympic. People on the bike course didn't wanted to let me return to T2 after 2 rounds and most importantly - very little cheering from public and other participants happening - shouting was more common. Poor!”

“I love the event, great venue and course - Poor Organisation, having transition open while race is on. Close transition to all at time first wave starts. Also have holding areas for relay teams. Not in transition. Bag drop was a disaster and I will NEVER make use of it again. Running out of medals at finish line! Race pack collection communication was poor. Till now in premieronline it is "to be advised"? For the high price we pay I expect better service. This is most expensive Sprint race on calendar and not sure I will do it again.”

“Shambles - Abu Dhabi deserves better - First of all thank you to the volunteers out on the course who did a great job but were left in an impossible position by shoddy race organization. it's not a new race so I don't understand how so many basic things could have been so badly done - from registration and race briefings happening on time; collecting merchandise etc. the layout of transition simply didn't work being way too narrow - like the course. But on the positive, at least the bridge was gone this year.”

“Enjoyable. - This is a world class event - having third-world toilet and changing facilities is just not good enough...”

“Enjoable but could have been organised better - More water stations were needed, was very hot. Giveaways were poor, lack of a t-shirt was disappointing.”

“Could have been amazing but fell way short... - Poor course Chaos at the bike out/bike in/run out/run at times Very narrow sections on the bike course Groups of riders making passing dangerous in places Drafting rife Poorly organised podium/prize giving No trophy for podiums placers (given by most local races!) No finishers shirts”

“No consideration for age group athletes; expensive - After coming 2nd in my age group, I waited for the awards ceremony that was scheduled to take place at 1 pm (according to the Athlete Guide). When I showed up at 12:45, the awards for Sprint were done. But then I learned no medals, no trophies were awarded. But there were envelopes? I asked for my prize and the person administering them asked me to to go the 'Administration' tent where I could pick it up. I waited almost 1 hour and no one showed. Dissapointed! No respect for athletes:(”

“A blight on the sport of Triathlon - If you are going to run an event - then do it properly. This race was the first that I can honestly say I did not enjoy because of the organisation. From lack of givaways to poor choice of hydration, and from lack of marshalls (particularly draft busters) to the expense. Won't be doing it again, there are alternative, brilliantly organised events in the UAE. I fear this has done nothing positive for the ITU brand - sorry, this is the first ever negative review if a Triathlon.”

“Complete shambles - bunch of amateurs - No clear instructions about anything. No details about the swim course, no details about the transition area, who put the bag drop at the opposite end to th e bike drop? no sun cream, no bananas, poor signage, No race timing - only transition times, poor race layout, poor in/out transition layout, poor poor poor. S o bad I probably wont do another ITU event - complete shambles. Give this back to the AD Sports Council - they were MUCH better”

“Kids day was very badly organized - So many comments for both days ! That I will write separate letter. Kids day was so un professional organized a shame- no medals at the finish - 1 hour waiting line to collect your bag and so on and so on. As mentioned too much so will write letter- I had 5 family members participating over 2 days and feel no value for my good money ”

“Enjoyable event let down by some issues. - 1. Swim course was not clear and only 1 swim brief before 1st wave, most of the Maxi swimmers didn't go around the last yellow buoy. 2. The main issue is either getting in or out before the Elite race as the marshals just stop anyone crossing the road about 30 mins before the start - this needs sorting out as it has happened 2 years running now. The marshals are completely unhelpful. 3. collecting pre ordered merchandise was chaos. 4. Volunteers seemed rather clueless, more training needed??”

“Good fun but lack of organisation - I enjoyed this experience as this was my 1st triathlon, but there was a distinct lack of organisation and signage. Drafting was rife during the bike leg and nothing was done about it. Bag collection at the end took far too long, and there should have been at least water and bananas at the finish. All the support staff were trying their best, and they can't be blamed in any way, and thankfully they held it all together.”

“Worse than last year - Poor signage, very few hydration station, no pit stop, a mess in package collection and storage.”

“Lovely setting, very poor value for money - The race itself was great, thank you to all the volunteers. The bag collection was even worse than last year (hard to believe that this was possible). Giveaways not existing and again a very poor Medal”

“Fantastic location & overall pleasant but... - 1. If I register through Premier, I don't expect to be scratching around for info. I receive emails almost daily from yourselves so send a full race pack .PDF with EVERYTHING! Timings, course maps, where to park, hotels, road closures... 2. Staff were friendly and courteous. 3. Course signage was badly placed and whistles were distracting. Give some decent lead up signage for the turns. 4. Drafting was rife! 5. Water stations for the run were scarce and understaffed.”

“Great course, poor delivery - I loved this event last year, 2016 was left wanting. Spent more time at bag collection than on the course. Charge me 300AED to race-I'm happy, add another 450 and provide jack in return, I feel cheated. No momento other than last years medal. Volunteers worked hard and deserve credit, but organisers, you must get your head around the logistics. Blatant drafting unchecked. Not so much as a piece of fruit. You need to convince me you care about the competitors not just the sponsors and the money.”

“Needs rethinking from the ground up - A sub-standard race from start to finish that took Age Groupers and their wallets for granted. The race was poorly organised, planned and executed. From not even checking the sunrise start time (how was 6:15am ever going to work??) through to disrespecting the AG winners and not having the awards at the time they were supposed to. In between was a mess of a race held together by voluanteers. The Age Groupers fund these events, it's about time that they were treated fairly & not used as ATM's.”

“To many bugs - 1) For this price I would expect a better piece of medal and a nice giveaway t shirt. 2) It was really hot, and I could only find water at the support stations 3) Long portions of the bike were too narrow. Difficult to pass. Not good for a non-drafting race. 4) Bags drop room was a big mess. 5) I have not seen for photos yet, but I know they will be overpriced...”

“A lot of room for improvement - Swim course wasn't clear No water at transitions drafting on the course, and no marshals that I saw Not enough and very poorly stocked aid stations on the run course. No sunscreen anywhere on the course Medals disapointing not even different ones for the different distances. Awards ceremony terrible. And for some reason in the Maxi there wasn't awards for all the age groups...stopped with 40+ No T-shirts, no food. For 750Dhs I would expect to see the above things standard. ”

“Bad organisation - Start MAXI-Distance in die DARK! Bad Swim-Course communication for everyone! No Finisher-Shirts, Eat, Medal Signing”

“Good course, but many organisational problems. - The goody bag was just your numbers and a can of red bull. No medals at the finish. I managed to get one by luck. Not enough people on the water stations. The Marshals where good. But the chaos at the end collecting the bike and meeting up with your friends and family was hard work. ”

“Over priced and disappointing - Completely over priced for what it was. A red bull given at registration was hilarious to be honest. Compare that to the rest of the races in the region and it's bottom of the list on almost everything in my opinion. Nothing particularly terrible just very little given back to honest racers paying good money. Disappointing considering the event it has replaced in AD. Not confirming the top pros either made it less special as well although both races were still quality. ”

“Very poor and cheap organization - No value for money. Pros - Brand - ITU Cons: - Poor transition area - Poor communication - too many mismatching - Lack of support - course and transition knowledge - No marshals on a bike course - drafting was a common thing - Two aid station 700m apart and then over 2km run without any - Cheap generic medals - No fruit on the finish line, just a glass of water - Bag drop area - awful, all bags on one pile, complete mess Overall feeling - wouldn't attend if it's for free!”

“Great to have raced with the pros - Very good atmosphere, excellent signage and marshalling. Start was well organised and structured. Transition were well laid out for each of the participant without having to wonder where to rack your bike. The course was well laid out, but there were issues with some of the U-turns with some participants not able to make the tight turns, eventually ending up in the way of oncoming athletes. The finish was a disappointment with no medal in sight. Bag collection chaotic. - Do it the RAKHM way!”

“It isnot worth it - The area is nice but the event is at first a good business The swim: the buoys a nightmare (the briefing was 2 yellow ones !) there were yellow ones but we had to follow some of the oranges ones. The T1 ok. The bike: marshall saying U turn when it is only a shark turn... is confusing and making some doing the mistake... The T2 The marshall was sending me (runner) in the bike loop... The run: slippery pavement. So expensive with nothing (exemple compare IRONMAN Dubai) Organisation can improve ”

“Low value for money - - This is the most expensive race in the UAE - Despite that, this is theonly race where you dont even get a tee-shirt. When you compare to Ironman, giveaways are ridiculously cheap (bag is really crap, no pre-race dinner, no food after the race, nothing really) - The medal is exactly the same as last year, you could make an effort guys rather than reusing what you have in stock - 45 minutes waiting in line to pick up my bag, if you charge so much you could do that right, hire a few people”

“Enjoyable for 1st time - Nice course, great conditions, well managed. Would do again.”

“OVERPRICED - We paid waaaayyyy toooo much for jack s***. The marshalls were horrible. The aid stations filled with sugar and no water. We are human beings running, NOT ANTS. The stuff we got is tooo bad and nothing worth flying over for. Last year event was better in a way. This year the vibe was dead and there was nothing.”

“Great venue but organisation let it down - The event pack was cheap and didn't even include a t-shirt. the medal looks and feels cheap The toilets stopped working The internal sign posting was disastrous The bag collection was terrible - got sun burnt waiting in the queue outside medal was not presented to me or my wife when we finished Food stations had large queues and not enough choice”

“Nice course, but what a shambles - Was fun out on the course today. I know it's tough to organise such a major event, but...same mistakes made this year: Bag Drop - awful. As bad last year, no better now. RAK 1/2 manages it perfectly. No value for money. I don't need t-shirts or medals, but basically you get nothing for it. Signs around village not very helpful (& nothing from Marina Mall parking). Cramped village. All female loos were locked this AM (Whaa??!). Female sprint swim FAR too crowded. More waves? TriYas so much better”

“Thanks to the org. team - Overall great”

“Not bad, could be better - - from an environmental standpoint, it was a disaster. so much styrofoam! - no place for athletes to cool down and have a snack after, no snacks given out, not even a banana! worst after race amenities I have ever seen. even the restaurants ran out of water! - there needs to be bathrooms IN the transition area. I left to go pee and they wouldn't let me back in! - would be nice to have more color options for the t-shirts. ”

“My first tri... - A lot learned on a nice and easy course ... overall very satisfied. a little chaotic for the removal of the bike from the transition area and for the drop bag desk. Medal a little cheap too ;o) Nice to hear our name at the arrival! will do it again, but no excuse, it will be olympic next year.”

“SHOCKING EXPERIENCE....HERE'S WHY!!! - With Zero knowledge of Triathlon, learning swimming 1 week ago & buying a bike the same time - I registered for this event as a late entry. I was nervous as hell. However, every person in the organizing team whom I asked for help, ensured I was guided properly - even to the point one of them even helped me set up my transition area. Seriously - The volunteers and the organizers deserve an award for giving us participants a world class experience! Thank you so much for everything. ”

“Well organised apart from collection of race bags - 1. Inform athlethes of changes of age groups befor payment! I wuold not have participated in an age group 50+ , being 71! 2. To sell t-shirts of the event for 35 dollars instead of providing finisher-shirts is unacceptable. 3. The return of rsce bags was a joke! Worst system I have ever seen. Organise a wardrob system with the race number, so we could quickly grab our stuff from the numbered hook! 4. My criticism does not mean that your event is bad, but needs improvement.”

“Generally very disappointing - No drafting busters on the course Not even a t-shirt for finishing...no,value for money Terrible bag drop organising.....waiter 45 min to collect bag Athletes not going though all split mats but still in overall results Same old boring medal of last year Post event bike collecting and route clearance was a joke....had to walk 1km to get to bag drop area The event is arranged and focuses around the pros and totally commercial. No interest in the age groupers or developing the sport....”

“Great event! Some things must be really improved! - Race overall was great! After the finish line I didn't have the chance to get a massage or refuel enough because the staff was pushing us away. Probably creating a bigger space after the finish line would help. I waited 50 minutes in line to collect my bag!!! The people in the tent were doing their best but the bags were not properly organized. Staying in the sun after not having drunk enough was terrible! ”

“Not impressed with organization - So much experience in organising events , and such a poor event delivered. 750dhs entry fee and not even a trophy when you win?? Not even a podium picture to be fair - when the prize giving scheduled for 13:00 gets completed by 12:45... Swim scheduled to start at 6:15am - are the organisers actually based in Dubai?? Its DARK at that time!! The excessive buoys on the swim course made it a nightmare too. Rant over - not going back. ”

“This is normally my favourite race, not this year. - Not enough staff at aid stations and poor choice of fuel (water & red bull). Bag and medal poor quality, it's not 24 hours old and Both are broken. Asking staff on course about logistics and end they were unclear on transitions entry/exit. Also I have been participating for four years and sprint distances keep changing from year to year, very annoying.”

“Good to see International Triathlon in Abu Dhabi - Good to see an event that has an age group and pro category separate so you get a chance to see them perform.”

“Fun race, but many aspects badly organised - A good venue and good course saved the day, but organisation lacked in many areas: For 750AED you'd expect a bit more than a medal. No T-shirt, no food after the race, insufficient or badly places timing mats allowed cheating on run and bike course (hopefully not too many people did), lots of drafting as usual because there was only one draft buster who didn't give anybody a penalty, bike aid station was good (clever to put it out of the way of the main course!), but run stations were poor.”

“Ok but.... - Great to be part of an ITU event, I expected much better organisation though. Compared to the Yas event it simply wasnt as good. The team at Yas deserve a pat on the back when I compared both. ”

“Great event. - This was a well organised event and a lot of fun. Thank you esp. to volunteers. Negatives: 1. Blatant cheating. Organisers made it very clear this is a NON DRAFT LEGAL event. Yet I saw countless examples of drafting, including some massive groups. Perhaps more marshals needed on the course to enforce the rules? 2. The marshal on the run leg as you turn from 18 street onto Corniche needed to be better placed to tell runners to stay on the road, not the blue tiles as last year. ”

“Great event, sime trouble with water stations - The course was great and the volunteers were great. Water stations were were too far apart for how hot it was. Also needed more electrolytes and less red bull. No T-shirts?? ”

“Good Tri day - Overall well done and organization from small kids on Friday till age groupers were well organized. A bit chaos on collecting there bikes and ways after collection. This can be easily fixed. Didn't like to watch last runners going to final part of run to be almost bagging other (not thoughtful participants) to make them some space to finish the run, while they're going to collect the bikes - this shold be organized better. ”

“Great event and course, logistics needs attention. - The village is a massive improvement from last year but the unnecessary queues needs attention. The time of year is warm, bike racking took too long with a long queue and only one person checking bikes in. Other eventually helped. Bag pick up is a disaster and a better system or handling methodology required. Perhaps a racking system similar to other events inside the triathlete area similar to Ironman events? I love the course, especially the swim. Will be back.”

“Great race in great conditions - Loved it but missed the turn on the Sprint Run due to too many runners and the marshall to saying, cost me 300 m.”

“A good event for a novice - Water stations too far apart for the running ”