“Very well organised and great atmosphere! - I had a great time at the event and will be back next year. My only comment is that perhaps people who intend to walk the course are asked to keep to one side so that those who are racing aren't losing time by having to dodge them. Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to next year. Thank you to everyone involved for doing such a great job!”

“Well organized event - The event was well organized, the route was clear and lot of supporting Marshall and stations. the breakfast in Yas water world was delicious although i didn't knew about it before. Things to improve in my point of view: - Photo service is part of the inclusions, i didn't like that we are getting are low resolution photos with tags, and we have to pay to get the proper ones. - in the inclusions there where Finishers gift, i didnt get any gift on finish line other than the medal and the towel”

“Run hard,you’ll reach soon a somptuous breakfast - Excellent idea to have the lavish breakfast and the entrance to Yas Waterworld included in price. ”

“Best Ever Abu Dhabi Half - Brilliant - no fault to be found anywhere. Loved it!”

“Good event - Why was there no emails sent out in regards to number collection? ”

“Very well organised event - Would be much convenient if the water was in the bottles at support stations. I had issues opening water pack, especially while you are running ”

“nice event - At times it feels that you are lost in the way due to no signage of water or anything , so please put a board of motivation statement on every kilometer, plus there was no one to click at the finish which was disappointed and less no. of official photographers.”

“great event well organized - Nice to collect the shirt, but no real need for a medal afterwards.”

“overall good event - Enjoyed the event. good weather and equaly good route. cheers”

“Great Event - Well organised, nice course, good support stations, etc. Very good event.”

“Super organisation; great race - I love this race as the organisation is superb. They responded to 2016 feedback at the finish was (mostly) segregated so 10k runners/half runners didn't clash. Text message result was great, bit slow with the overall results but that's a minor gripe. Thanks to the team and see you all in 2018. ”

“To my taste, best running race in UAE - It gets only better. This was my 4th running (AD Striders Half Marathon marathon), and will keep coming. Right time to check the form, and proceed with preparation for Dubai Marathon. Fantastic venue. Excellent value for money. Lots of entertainments after the race. Keep up the good work!”

“An enjoyable event - Breakfast needs some improvement”

“One of the best running events! - One of the best running events I have entered into. Its my first time joining this event and rest assured will join again next year...”

“Very well organised - Only negative would be the shuttle buses back to the hotel precinct. They seemed non existent, nobody seemed to know about them, no signage. We caught a taxi back.”

“Great organisation, disappointed about timings - Generally a very well run event Main gripe is on the distance / timings. I'm used to races being slightly longer than Strava suggests, but this race was accurate until the last 2 kms. I was running consistently at my pace to hit my goal, only for me to suddenly be 250m short at the 9km mark. Sure enough, I came in 1 minute over my goal. In addition, I didn't get an SMS with my time as promised, and the splits on the certificates are way off, due to the half marathon being longer at 5k. ”

“Extremely well-organised event - Fantastically well-organised. Great support from the volunteers all the way round the course. I really enjoyed this event. ”

“Well organized race - Congratulations and hats off to the Abu Dhabi striders for a well organized event! :) ”

“Worth it! - It was my first time to join Abu Dhabi Half marathon and i was really amazed bu how supportive and caring you are with the runners. i commend your hydration stop at every 2k which helps us top hydrate more and finish strong. Also kudos to the support team who cheer us all the way. Job well done AUH Striders! ”

“Very good event, tarnished somewhat by the start - This race was well organised, well signed, good water stations, good goody bag, love that water park access was included, flat course (although the km markers of the 10k where a bit off from 6k onwards)... HOWEVER the announcer at the start of the 10k who was judging people's pace JUST BY LOOKING AT THEM ruined this event a bit for me. So judgemental, and everything I hate about the elitist attitude of some runners. Please be more inclusive-if you're that bothered, then introduce start corrals. ”

“Gr8 way to prep for a marathon - This is the first marathon I have ever participated in my life and the euphoria from it is blitzing on even after 2 days the event has finished. I would like to thank everyone who organised and the prompt manner in which it was conducted at YAS Waterworld with all the amenities provided. Additionally the support provided at the various stations like water and refreshments were really helpful. I would definitely participate in the marathon again next year.”

“Excellent organisation throughout - Great athmosphere thanks to all the volonteers. Special note to the music band on the course.”

“Something New is Required - If you have been running this event for more than 3 times, the run course will be (is getting) boring already. If you can find something new would be exciting. The Buffet Food is Not that Great due to plenty of fried (oily) options. We need something refreshing and a good food after running 21KM. Yas WaterWorld access is still the Best. There will always room and I am certain that you can make next years event something bigger and better.”

“Overall good value of money - Last 2000m at finish line were not marshaled as mentioned in the briefing, 10K runners into the half marathon tarck having selfie or just walking.”

“Good fun, great value, fast course, fantastic orga - The lady running the wristband table was awesome ”

“Always improving. - This event has grown in stature to the point where it now equals, if not surpass, other traditionally popular events in the country! ”

“nice event - Good job organizers”

“Always a nice start to the season - Can we start half hour early next time? It gets really hot by the end.”

“Great event! - Great event as usual. Really appreciate the gym bag and the bandana! Will definitely run again next year.”

“Great organisation and atmosphere - Great organisation of the event, transportation from hotels to event needs improving though. Best organised event in the region ”

“Fabulous - Ice lolly is great. A nice touch.”

“Entry fees should be less - I enjoyed the race”

“Great event a must every time! - Perfect event end to end, from the organisation to the finish along with the medals. Great support from all the volunteers and marshals on the support stations. Course with amazing scenery early in the morning. Timing and Photo service were prompt! Large variety on the buffet and great fun at Yas Waterworld! Lots of giveaways included too. One minor note to rectify, the emergency contact received the SMS results on my behalf.”

“Well organized - The kids making music was so qute. Thank you for well organized water stations!”

“Impeccable organisation, highly recommended. - This is definitely one of my favorite races now. Very well organized, eveything went exactly as it should, the route was good, the support stations were well stocked and had more than enough volunteers. Many people had strong performances and PBs, will definitely do it again in 2018. ”

“Top Running Event - Well organised as always, good course and great after-run breakfast. The printing on my shirt is a bit iffy but if that is all I have to complain about it cannot be bad. Hope I am around next year for the 2018 event. Well done.”

“Very well run organized race. - I thought this was a fantatsic race. Well run and great race packs. Bonus you get to relax in Yas Water World after. The only thing I thought was strange was the age group categories break down. One huge one 18-39 and then 40+ were every 5 years. I felt it was a real shame for the lower age groups as the 18- 30 and 31-39 contained the largest participants. Thought it would have been nicer to split it as there were some incredible runners in both. ”

“good day and good atmosphere - Nice day nice crowd and well organized. This is a good event for training to tougher races.”

“Can always be relied upon for a great run - Well organised. The breakfast was much better organised this year with being directed to different areas so queues weren’t as long. Having popsicles at the end makes running the distance worthwhile, thanks. The trophies looked amazing too. Thanks for another great event.”

“Great 1/2 marathon unique to Abu Dhabi - I love this event as Abu Dhabi's own unique half marathon. My only critique of this year's race is that the finish is very disorderly, because slower 10k runners/walkers are finishing at the same time as faster 21k runners, which means as a half marathoner, you have to navigate running around a lot of people like an obstacle course. This could easily be corrected with better finish organization :) ”

“Good race, but preferred PremierTiming - Have run this race numerous times in the 21k, and as always was enjoyable. There was a long section of course (~13 km to 18 km) where there were zero audience members, making it for fairly bland... I'm assuming because they couldn't access the roads. My only gripe is the new timing system - works absolutely fine, but results don't integrate into Premier Online (which is annoying given that this is presumably where most people registered and where most of us have long-term records & chips). ”

“Best Half Marathon in UAE! - Very well organised Start/Finish point. Race Course is well marked no chance of any confusion if you pay a little attention to markers & early announcements & nice views of complete Yas Island. Breakfast was great & not much waiting with multiple serving arrangements. Best after race recovery in Yas Waterworld. It pays you back more than it takes. Only improvement I can see is that the Race Path can be more cleaned as there were lot of small stones lying on it in some areas.”

“Great event! - Just a little cramped in the corner of the car park for so many people, made it hard for spectators to be part of the event.”

“Ilove it - My favorite race”

“Very well run on the day - As per other comments. Still not received results. Gave both mine and my wife's mobile number and did nor receive any notifications at all. Myraceresults.com website does not even have the race event listed. Other than that a great event. ”

“timing result still not available yet - Nice race, but timing result and certificate still not available untill saturday morning 1 day after race finish”

“Extraordinary experience -first half marathon! - Clarity may be provided if there is a cut-off time for finishing the half marathon. There seemed to be shortage of medals but finally got one! These are what I would lie to share. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“Superb Organisation - Well organized run. Could do with more crowd support .. maybe use social media to attract a larger audience The music band playing at 10k odd was good.. more please to build up an atmosphere”

“Race day was absolutely great - Pre race pack collection NOT well organised. Also unable to communicate how to collect.”

“Enjoyqble - Enjoyable ”

“Great event - and enough ice lollies - Thanks for a good event - improvements every year ”

“very well organized - The only negative comment is not sending the timing via sms as you usually do. also it is 10 pm on friday and still haven t got the results online”

“Best running event of the season - Great organisation / atmosphere and enjoyed by everyone. Still can’t find my result online though? ”

“Great atmosphere! - Well organised and great goody bag! Only concerns are the last KM was busy with cars and people with strollers etc. Meant I had to run round people instead of a straight line. No sponges left at the last stop (18km?) which is when it was really needed! Queue for breakfast was ridiculously long so I didn’t bother. All in all, very good! ”

“Perfect - Non”

“Amazing event - No surprises, which is a good thing, given how amazing the race has been throughout the years. Only constructive criticism I can leave is put more bathrooms on the way. Thanks alot to volunteers, Steve, and his team.”

“Great event - Another good event. Well organized and fun to participate. ”

“Beautiful course, neat n tidy with super support s - Pls have washrooms available on the course. There was just one mobile washroom a little after the start n none after that. The permanent washrooms are a little away from the run I g route. Hence it was a big struggle n affected my timing today ”

“Perfect event, excellent organization - Lovely fast track, great value for the money ”

“Great work and thank you to all the volunteers! - Once again I am very impressed with the organizers, volunteers and sponsors who make this event a success! Thank you for all the useful give-a-ways. The lightweight shirts are always comfortable and the colors fabulous. I have to admit I didn’t know what the belt was for until I saw others using it at the race to hold the numbers/timers. Oops.”

“Great event - So well organised, it's such a joy to run this event. I loved the Gu gels and wet sponges on the course and the Saucony t-shirts. I'll be back! ”

“Unable to access the official timing - Received an email from premiertiming when it has not been communicated to use the timing chip and the chip was in the number. The link on the premiertiming website not showing any choice for the event. the event FB page has no links and cannot find online”

“Nice half marathon - Nice organization and good half marathon.”

“what an awesome run... - So happy to be a part of this event... it was my first half marathon and it means a lot. Looking forward for more runs...”

“A lovely morning at Yas Island - Well done organizers and volunteers. The 1.50h pacemakers did a great job. Thanks!”

“My absolute fav race in the UAE - I absolutely love this race and running in Yas Island. Beautiful course and very well organized! ”

“The organisation in the last 1k was awful - Very good to start with. The running track was too narrow. Lots of walkers on the right at the end. The finish straight even had cars crossings the runnnkng track. What an anti climax!”

“Excellent Organization - Organizers were excellent. Volunteers were great. Very very good vibe and atmosphere. Water stations were well placed. Love it! My first Half Marathon. Thank You!”

“Good event but expensive - Should have an option of no water world access, as one may not have energy to do the water park -might as well take the discount - surely not the cost of the entry but some part of it?? Only a suggestion not a rant.”

“Lovely event - My favourite event of the year, love the venue and track. Will be there next year too ”

“Great Event, again - Thanks to all staff for the well organised event. ”

“Excellent organisation and great course - Thanks to the organisers and all the volunteers for an amazing event. Loved it from start to finish - from the organisation at the start (really well done for the marshalling of people into the right zones) to the volunteers on the track. Very, very small thing was the mix of slower 10k runners with fast finishing 21k runners. It was well marshalled until the final 1km (but to be fair, not sure what you can do to fix that in those tight roads!). Thank you again.”

“small town friendly vibe, but still a big race - -extremely well organized before, during, and after -crazy good swag: towel, bag, t-shirt, running belt, headband/scarf (plus leftover cups from last year at check-in!) -tons of volunteers, all of whom were nice and smiling -flexible management: my friend needed to change her category last minute because she didn't feel well and it wasn't an issue -finish line had popsicles! ”