I would like to give an AG perspective on this race. I can’t comment on arrival by air as I drove from Saudi where I currently live part from getting into Bahrain is relatively easy going through customs and picking up a temporary visa!
The swim start and T1, we’re constructed n the 4 weeks leading up to the race, before hand just being some unbuilt on desert type land leading to the waters edge. This cost a lot of money to construct but was in effect a large Tarmac area which was then covered in a plastic carpet. A large tent/temporary building was alongside T1 and was used for post swim training free breakfast after on each of the days. Swim training was done on the course itself with buoys around 200m apart and perfect overly safe. Early morning race time the sun was from your left shoulder first 900m then from your right shoulder on the return sighting was very easy. Bike training pre race would be advised only to be done out near T2 as traffic near T1 is horrendous and they are not a culture used to bikes! Run training could be done alongside bike routes T2
Race day, very well organised plenty of helpers. Temperature pleasant 22 rising to 26 during the day. Water temp I am estimating 21/22 so very pleasant
Due to numbers only being just over 800 it was very hassle free at the holding pen before the start, first wave delayed as they we’re using the same platform for entry into the water as was being used for the exit, they should improve on this next year I would hope. Plenty of room to warm up in and wide start line so no congestion and easy passage to turn point 900m away. Swim exit assisted exit by helpers. Straight forward jog to collect bag/change tent/50m max, into T1. 50m jog to mount line very simple.
Bike leg, closed roads as in not coned apart from one small section of about 8k, so completely one side of 3 lane highway closed off, so very ride. You were expected to cycle on the right side to allow for overtaking and other lanes for race marshals of which there were plenty, so,drafting was never an issue from what I saw except when I was overtaken by the Prince, followed by 2 cars and several scooters, who I guess gave a minor assistance in draft as they went past, but there was a Marshall there the whole time to prevent this happening. Oh the helicopter above had a nice cooling affect. Volunteers on bike course as with most new races don’t know how,to hold the water bottles to,prevent them just being knocked,over as you attempt to take one. Again this I sure would have been sorted in a de brief. Bike,course was flat as far as no climbs but with the normal up and downs of fly overs, under passes and bridges. The worst aspect was the wind, normally a north wind in Bahrain on most days which would help as the course runs from the north, race day blowing from the west so never really felt like it was with you. I clocked the bike course with my Garmin as being 1k approx short. I found it tough mainly due to only having a road bike with no clip on bars!. Last 2k of bike was around the F1 race track where the racing line could be taken at every corner!! Bike dismount, with bike taken off you then 100m run down Shute to bag collect and tent change,this,could be changed and again I’m sure it would be in order to take out this extra run bit.
Run although it takes you into a wildlife park it was still all Tarmac which didn’t stop some of the wildlife running scared across the tracks, odd,bit of shade available, now and again, no,spectators here so a lonely place, one loop run. Plenty of aid stations 2k apart, run was as flat as a pancake. The last 1.5k entering back into the F1 facility was met with age twists and turns, with one 5m drop and 5m rise again around a circular corner somewhat like a parking lot on a smaller scale. Finishing Shute about 100m long straight line to the finish. Aftercare was good apart from the distance to,recovery area I felt was too far,probably biased by how awful I felt!
I would recommend this race to do again!
I may even do,the next one in Dubai.
Graham
Thanks for the update Graham! Nice to hear the age group perspective. How many age group waves were there?
Congrats on taking second even with no tri bike and only a few minutes down from the win in 50-54! I assume this was a wetsuit swim?
Looks like the tide might be turning. After what can only be described as a runaway success Challenge seems to be gaining even more popularity - with pros, unsurprisingly, keen to support those that support them. Looks like Team Wurtele will be adding three (the three?) Challenge races each to their schedules. This just in from Facebook in response to a Challenge Bahrain question.
“… Trevor Wurtele Yeah, it’s great for the sport. Everything about the race was apparently amazing, and online coverage was awesome. We’re hoping to go over to 3 of the Challenge races in the middle-east next year …”
This isn’t a WTC bash from me, for once, but just pleased that they have a competitor that is growing and growing in stature. It can only be a good thing for the sport. I’d love to see some form of co-op movement for smaller races to ensure that local stuff stays strong too, shared resourses, ideas, brainstorm meetings could help avoid some of the pitfalls and those areas that really work well could be shared across all RD’s.
Yep, wetsuit swim. I’ve heard it was the correct distance too (my swim time was a few minutes quicker than expected so I was happy to hear it was correct 
).