Abayomi, Rukayat win 4th Opobo marathon as King Jaja assures support

Akintomide Abayomi and Rukayat Oladapo have emerged winners in both male and female categories of the 4th Opobo Marathon, which saw participants covering 17km.

However, one of the star attractions saw the revered Amayanabo and natural ruler of Opobo Kingdom, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja, participating in the marathon.

Oladele Sunday and Clinton Amara came second and third respectively in the male category attracted more than 100 runners, while Dorothy Jaja came second in the female event.

The orginsers led by Iyowuna Cookey, who spoke on the sidelines of the event, said the marathon is aimed at connecting Opobo to the rest of the world, in addition to showcasing the tourism potential of the area.

According to him: “With this Opobo marathon, people are seeing beyond the popular Nwaotam Carnival, just as we are using the marathon to advocate for healthy living.”

“I want to specifically thank the Amanyanabo of Opobo, King Douglas Dandeson Jaja for his full participation as well as our headline sponsors including Heritage Bank, Vino Imperium, Mental Health Orientation and Advocacy Initiative, Opobo/Nkoro Council,” he stressed.

King Jaja expressed satisfaction with the marathon, saying it will promote healthy living and tourism potentials, while also calling for more participation from the international community.

The king, who joined the event at the starting point (Bridge 9) pledged the kingdom’s support, saying: “I thank the sponsors of this event from the bottom of our hearts, and we hope that the sponsorship will continue and the prize money will be increased so that it will attract more people.”