The third annual Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge gets underway tomorrow, with 39 coed teams of four setting off on a six day stage race event that will see them running, mountain biking, paddling, and orienteering their way through, in , and around the Middle Eastern country that has been a great host to this event over the past few years.
Teams began arriving in Abu Dhabi yesterday, and are going through orientation for the event today, before the race actually begins tomorrow. Unlike a number of other adventure races, including Primal Quest, this adventure race is run in stages, with all teams beginning and ending at the same point each day. That means they don’t go non-stop, through the night, and without sleep. The teams with the least accumulated time across all six stages will be the ones that stand on the podium at the end of the race.
The field is, once again, quite deep for this year’s race, with competitors from all over the planet showing up to challenge one another. Top teams such as Salomon/Crested Butte, Vibram – Sport2000, and Lundhags Adventure will no doubt be pushing the pace, but there are plenty of good racers in the field, and the stage format allows for some surprises, and keeps things competitive.
Over the past couple of years, this race has earned itself a great reputation as a fun and challenging event that closes out the adventure racing calendar for the year. While I’m personally not a big fan of the stage format, it does give the race a bit of a unique edge, and I can guarantee you that it won’t be plagued with the same issues at the issues as the AR World Championships a few weeks back. We’ll be able to track the teams, and there will be no question as to who is leading and where all the other teams stand. In fact, this event is practically a model for how adventure races should be run, and the competitors generally rave about how fun and interesting it is.
I’ll post updates over the next few days.
- Gear Review: The Xero Scrambler Mid is an Ultralight Hiking Shoe for Spring - March 1, 2023
- Gear Review: Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler - August 18, 2022
- Kristin Harila Continues Pursuit of 8000-Meter Speed Record - August 16, 2022
Hi Kreg,
I thank you for the coverage of the ARWC Portugal 2009 and I respect the expression of your opinions, most of them negative due to ignorance about the facts that really happened in the race.
That would a minor problem if those views were confined to the ARWC itself however you keep repeating it in different context and that is not at all correct.
We were not perfect in the coverage of the race and in some other particular aspects but we definitively hold a Race to Remember to all the participants, 75% of which had the chance to finish this unique Race.
Alexandre Guedes da Silva
ARWC Portugal 2009
Race Director
Alxeandre,
Thanks for the post, and know that I respect what you did with the race immensely. I understand what it takes to put on an event of this quality. If I came across as a bit harsh, it mainly stems from the stand point of being a big fan of the sport, including the ARWC, and not being able to follow the action was frustrating for me and a number of other fans that I've been in contact with.
That said, I know the race, and the history of the event, and think that it is amazing, which is why I looked forward to it greatly once again this year. I apologize if I came across a bit harsh in some of my words, but please don't let that lessen my respect for you and the event that you put together. I can't wait to see what you have planned for 2010.
Kraig