GIANT DUATHLON: RACE OVERVIEW
Dubai Parks & Resorts played host to the first Giant Duathlon of the season and, in my opinion, was an excellent venue for this race. Held early in the morning before the park officially opened for the day it was a quiet, relatively traffic-free location with plenty of parking.
The run course was one of the best I have raced on with 2.5 km loops winding their way around the park and plenty of interesting sights along the way. Had it not been taped off as it was, there could perhaps have been a few wrong turns, but it was very well organised with plenty of marshals to keep everyone on course.
The bike course felt as if it was purpose-made with a straightforward loop of 10 km that offered the opportunity for some fast bike splits. Again, this was also well-marshalled with excellent traffic control.
While the event in this new location was quiet, in terms of participation, it certainly has the potential to grow. It offered three different distances and attracted a number of beginners as well as some of the city’s more serious athletes.