Top distance running coach commends Dare on Cross Country race

High Altitude Athletics club coach, Stephen Nuhu, says distance runners in Nigeria will forever be grateful to Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare, for giving them the attention they have long craved for through the first National Cross Country race holding tomorrow in Jos, Plateau state.

Nuhu has coached many long-distance runners to national reckoning and is delighted with the efforts the minister is making to ensure distance running is developed in Nigeria.

“He is the first sports minister in almost 40 years to make that conscious effort to see to the development of distance running in Nigeria. I remember we had a camp for some selected distance runners last year here in Jos and Chief Dare has demonstrated it is not a one-off with the staging of the Cross Country race this weekend also in Jos,” said Nuhu.

The High Altitude Athletics Club’s coach is the most recognised trainer of distance runners in Nigeria and believes cross country running will help in the development of athletes’ physical and mental strength.

Nuhu is also grateful to the race coordinator, Tony Osheku, saying the coordinator has been relentless in his fight to see that distance runners are accorded a pride of place in Nigerian athletics.

Meanwhile, Osheku says all arrangements are in place for a successful event on Saturday.

“The course has been measured and I want to believe we will have a real cross country race on Saturday. This is the start of that great journey to help our distance runners achieve that world class standard that will make them competitive in local, continental and international road race championships and Games.”