Our Correspondent/Abu Dhabi

An athlete trains for the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon
A record-breaking number of GCC athletes, including over 50 athletes from Qatar, have signed-up for the third annual Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 2012 to be held this March, with a leading expert saying the demand signals a paradigm shift in the growing popularity of endurance athletics in the region.
Nearly 1,000 athletes from around the GCC, almost 50 percent of total spots available, have registered for the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)-organised event on  March 3.
According to Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team manager Dr. Werner Leitner, the steady growth of GCC-based triathletes is no surprise given the increasing grass roots infrastructure coming on-stream, which is being bouyed by flagship events such as the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon. In addition, the vast mountain terrains and picturesque coastlines found throughout Qatar and the wider GCC region, combined with the cool winter climate, offer some of the world’s best training conditions.
 “Triathlon, as a sport, is growing rapidly in the region as people have started to recognise the importance of healthy living and exercise,” says Dr. Leitner, himself an ex-triathlete.
 “The Abu Dhabi International Triathlon has really made impressive strides in bringing together these like-minded athletes, and giving the region an international platform to showcase its talent and prefect winter training credentials.
“Yet the passion for endurance sport has been around for some time. In Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh Road Runners were formed approximately 28 years ago by expatriates wanting to have organised group runs in Riyadh – now most countries in the region have a Road Runners group exercising in popular locations on a weekly basis.”
In addition to preparing in Abu Dhabi, which has some of the region’s leading outdoor training landscapes, many regional athletes are putting themselves through the paces on their home turf, both in stunning natural terrain such as Oman’s Al Hajar Mountains inland from the Gulf of Oman coast, to multi-purpose athletic complexes like Qatar’s state-of-the-art indoor Aspire Dome.
After finishing his athletic career in 2008, Dr. Leitner has been managing the Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team and encourages the elite outfit, headed up by former World Ironman Champion Faris Al-Sultan, to train in various locations across the GCC. The team is based in Abu Dhabi’s second city, Al Ain, and regularly holds international winter training camps there because of the mild weather and expansive facilities available.
 “Purpose-built triathlete facilities can’t get much better than the Aspire Dome in Doha - credited as the world’s largest indoor multipurpose dome which recently hosted the Arab Games,” explains the 43-year-old who has a PhD in mechanical engineering and economics.
“The running tracks and facilities cater for all three disciplines; elsewhere in Doha you can train with the Triathlon Club Qatar completing swim training at Hamad Aquatics Center, behind Villagio,” he said.
 “In Oman, the coastline provides some cooler conditions with swim training possible behind the Mermaid Cafe.”