Nigeria’s Okpekpe International 10km Road Race has appointed a World Athletics-certified medical director, Dr. Sam Ogbondeminu, to oversee medical operations at its 11th edition on May 30, 2026.
 
Race director Zack Amodu said the move follows World Athletics’ directive that only certified medical personnel can operate at sanctioned road running events.
 
“We at the Okpekpe race have built a reputation for compliance with regulatory authorities and being the first to clear the path for other road races in Nigeria,” he said in a statement.
 
Ogbondeminu, who is also medical director at Nigeria’s National Institute for Sports (NIS), completed his certification in Madrid in April during the World Athletics Label Zurich Rock ’n’ Roll Running Series Half Marathon. He becomes the first Nigerian medical doctor to earn the qualification.
 
Amodu said that the NIS Director General Philip Shaibu recommended Ogbondeminu, citing his track record in Nigeria, Africa, and globally.
 
Ogbondeminu previously headed the medical and anti-doping sub-committee at the 2024 African Games in Accra, Ghana, and is expected to serve in a similar role at next year’s edition in Egypt.