New Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon route to help runners become record-breakers

The Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon's new route has been set up to help runners achieve record-breaking times in the December 17 race, according to organisers.

This year, the race has a prize fund of $303,000 for the elite runners and is expected to draw a record 20,000 participants across all the different events.

Luca Onofrio, of race organisers RCS Sports and Events, is excited at the potential of the 42.2-kilometre route.

“In the previous years, it took the runners over two loops and this year it’s a complete run past the major landmarks of the entire city to encourage the runners to achieve record timings,” Onofrio said at the route's unveiling at Adnoc Business Centre on Thursday.

“The toughest point of the race is during the 25-28km mark and that’s where we have the runners going through areas or sceneries they haven’t come across before.

“This could give the runners an extra boost to up their pace and then we expect the crowds to encourage them and push them when they arrive to the finishing point along the Corniche.”

The Kenyan pair Titus Ekiru and Judith Jeptum Korir emerged winners of the elite races last year.

Kenya's Titus Ekiru won the men's category for Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on Friday, November 26, 2021. All images Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The race begins in front of the Adnoc Headquarters and will take the runners past a host of the city’s most recognisable landmarks, including the Crown Prince Court, Al Bateen Palace, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Qasr Al Hosn, and World Trade Centre Abu Dhabi.

The full marathon distance finish line is set for Adnoc Campus, where a race village will be set up.

The shorter distance events will start in front of Nation Towers on the Corniche Road and conclude on Al Marsa