Over 2000 elite athletes from across the world have registered for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, setting a record of entries for any Marathon race on the continent of Africa.
The General Manager of Nilayo Sports Management, organisers of the race, Yussuf Alli, said at the weekend that: “The elite entries would have been more, if the organisers had not regulated it to a barest size over a week ago in order to achieve effective and efficient management of the race”.
Yussuf Ali, revealed that, majority of the elite athletes are from Europe, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Asia and South America.
Ali informed that “out of the pool of registered international Elite athletes, the organisers have officially invited 47 male and 29 female world class athletes that will lead the bunch of first class athletes in the race.”
Going further, he said, “while we will compete to chase the Gold-Label status, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon’s quest to attain to the Platinum Label race status, will be boosted if two male Elite athletes can finish the race under 2 hours 10minutes and three female athletes finish under 2 hours 12 minutes.”
Meanwhile, in preparation for the first ever Gold-Label race in Nigeria, the Expo for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will begin this morning at the Teslim Balogun, Surulere.
The Expo would see :registered runners pick up their running kits and numbers. The organisers will also have series of exhibitions towards the success of the Gold-Label race, including health talks and several other events.
The Expo will run from January 23 to February 2, two days to the race on February 4. The start line for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has been slated for the National Stadium, Surulere.
There will also be the 10km race, which for the first time in Nigeria would see elite athletes compete.
