Abu Dhabi: With a record number of UAE teams entered into this year's Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge — the gruelling, six-day multi-discipline endurance race — competition for local bragging rights is expected to be fierce.
Of the original nine teams signed up for the event, only eight made it to the Abu Dhabi start line on Friday, as one was forced to retire at the 11th hour due to illness.
Even with home advantage on their side, and the ability to train in the vast and diverse landscapes on offer throughout the emirate, from the rolling expanse of the Rub Al Khali to the archipelagic coastline that stretches from Mirfa in Al Gharbia to Abu Dhabi city, the UAE teams knew only too well what they would be up against, as a record 50 top squads from 18 countries took their marks.
Now at the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority-organised event's halfway point, two of those local squads are relishing the experience of competing alongside the planet's top endurance athletes as they run, swim, canoe, kayak, mountain-bike and climb 426km across Abu Dhabi's breathtaking landscapes.
