Abu Dhabi Triathlon ’Flies The Flag’ For New York’s UAE Healthy Kidney Run

Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon – the crack endurance squad backed by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) – will lead an anticipated field of more than 10,000 professional and amateur athletes in New York’s Central Park this Saturday (May 15) for the UAE Healthy Kidney 10k run.

Now in its sixth year, the race – under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and sponsored by the UAE Embassy in the US - is staged to support the National Kidney Foundation.

Leading Team Abu Dhabi Triathlon will be its captain Faris Al Sultan, the 2005 Ironman World Champion. He will be joined by Dutchman Jans Van Berkel, a top short-course expert who is expecting to qualify for the 2010 London Olympics, and team manager Werner Leitner.

“This is a great opportunity to do something positive, raise money for a notable cause and to support the UAE; a country which has given so much to us,” said Al Sultan from his East Coast training camp.

The race is organised by the New York Road Runners in co-operation with the UAE Embassy and is aimed at building awareness of the links between sport and health. It is held in honour of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding President and ruler of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Zayed was treated for kidney disease in the US and benefited from the expertise, knowledge and professionalism of its medical institutions.

The race is being sponsored by ADTA to demonstrate the emirate’s commitment to the staging of major sporting events and to assist in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

“In Abu Dhabi our events are aimed at enriching the lives of visitors and residents alike – a message this race helps us emphasise while supporting a very worthwhile cause,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA.

For those wanting to make a donation, log onto: http://www.kidney.org/news/HealthyKidney10K/
 

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