The organisers of the annual 10km Owan Marathon have announced plans to sponsor athletes for Nigeria’s two elite marathon races, in Lagos and Okpekpe, scheduled for February and May 2026 respectively.

The organiser, Chris Ojo, made the disclosure while speaking about the just-concluded Owan Marathon in a statement made available to newsmen.

Noting that the annual Owan race was in its seventh edition, Ojo explained that the decision to sponsor athletes, particularly those from Edo State, is aimed at grooming them for global stardom.

He said that as part of the plan, a coach would soon be unveiled to train these athletes and guide them to the Lagos and Okpekpe marathon races in Edo State.

“This is the essence of the Owan Marathon race: to discover talents and groom them for global stardom. The only way we can prepare them is to constantly engage them in major marathon races in Nigeria and beyond,” he stated.

Speaking on this year’s edition of the Owan Marathon, Ojo described it as a huge success and noted that a consultant would soon be engaged to elevate the annual event.

He asserted that the consultant would not only market and promote the event but also be involved in the planning of the main race.

“All these efforts are geared towards standardising the race, which has begun to attract the participation of international athletes, particularly from Ghana and other neighbouring countries. As you will recall, when we started this event, it was dominated by local athletes from Owan and other parts of Edo State and gradually progressed to other states. The 2026 edition saw athletes from Ghana stealing the show, taking three of the six top prizes in both the male and female categories,” Ojo said.

The organisers noted that the 2026 edition also received increased attention from the Edo State Government, including the Owan Local Government. Ojo commended the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, and the Chairman of the State Sports Commission, Desmond Enabulele, for their involvement.

“Their roles in this year’s edition brought more glamour to the event, and their promise of full participation in subsequent editions is also a boost to us,” he said.

Ojo said he initiated the annual event to provide a platform for discovering and nurturing talent, especially from the Owan community. While fulfilled by his consistency in organising the event since its inception, he admitted that the race is not yet at the level he envisioned, noting that engaging a consultant from the next edition would help achieve that goal.