Abeokuta marathon will be best ever, says Olopade

The Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Company, Bukola Olopade, says the maiden Abeokuta City Marathon would be filled with thrills and glamour. The Abeokuta marathon, a 10km road race that will finish at the Alake’s Palace, will hold on November 2.

Olopade, a former sports commissioner in Ogun State under the Gbenga Daniel’s administration, told The Guardian yesterday that everything needed to make the event successful had been put in place.

“The Abeokuta marathon will open a new chapter in the history of marathon races in Nigeria,” Olopade stated. “It is the maiden edition, and everybody in Abeokuta and its environs is warming up to be part of the race.”

Nilayo Sports Management Company is Nigeria’s foremost Marathon and Road Races organizing body.

Olopade, who is also the organizer of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, as well as the Abuja International Marathon, said:
“The success we have achieved with the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon in the last four years shows that Nigerians are in love with Marathons and Road Races, and we at Nilayo intend to take the gospel of Marathons and Road Races to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria. We intend to stage the best marathon ever in Abeokuta on November 2 and then move to other regions as fast as possible.”

He urged Corporate Nigeria and well-meaning individuals to emulate JAC Motors, who are the sponsors of the Abeokuta 10km Race.

The Nilayo boss further stated that apart from encouraging tourism and other socio-economic benefits, the Abeokuta Marathon has immense health benefits that come with running, walking and jogging.

The race, which is supported by Ogun State government, will feature runners from across the country. There are special prizes for the locals, according to the organisers.

Olopade also hinted yesterday that the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), as well as the International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) had certified the race.