Nearly 300 athletes turned out yesterday morning for the third edition of the Dubai Desert Triathlon at Dubai International Endurance City.
The event, which combines the traditional Emirati sport of endurance horse riding with the triathlon disciplines of running and cycling, has quickly established itself as an important and popular event on the Dubai sporting calendar since the first edition was held in April 2014.
The competitors completed a 5km run, 50km cycle and 40km horse ride, and entered either as individuals completing all three legs or as members of a team.
The event, a partnership between Dubai Sports Council and Meydan, was a huge success, with the hundreds of participants, support crews and spectators thoroughly enjoying the experience.
This morning's event saw Aude Touraine again lift the trophy for the best female triathlete, repeating her success in the second Dubai Desert Triathlon held in December 2014. Joining her on the podium as the fastest male triathlete was Majed Mohammed Salman Hassan Al Sabri.
Touraine was delighted with her performance saying "I enjoyed today a lot. The organisation was really good, we could tell in transition between the cycling and the horse riding where we were placed so I knew how to manage my ride."
Al Sabri had placed second in the previous two Dubai Desert Triathlons, so was thrilled to take the win today. "I did my best to win, so I am very happy I was able to do it. I have been running for seven years and am an experienced horse rider so I needed to work more on my cycling as I have only been doing that for a year. The organisation was very good and I would like to say thank you to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for introducing this event. I would also like to thank all the people involved in organising the event."
Source: WAM