Athletes excited as 7th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon holds today

• Olopade Promises Hitch-Free Event
Several athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and other parts of the world will compete for the top prizes today in the seventh edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

Already, Lagos State Government has announced diversions of traffic, as some designated roads will be closed for a few hours this morning.

The marathon, which will be flagged off at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, will be rounded up at the Eko Atlantic City on Lagos Island.

Speaking at a world press conference in Lagos yesterday, Group Head, Corporate Communications and External Affairs, Access Bank plc, Amaechi Okobi, stated that since the inaugural edition held in 2016, Access Bank, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, began an incredible journey with Nigerians, and millions of stakeholders across the world to impact lives and create a healthy society.

“We had a desire to create a platform that will improve local sports, especially athletics, to promote a healthy lifestyle among Nigerians, and ultimately, the entire continent,” he said.

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa, said he was excited to be part of the event. “This is my first time on the high table. I have been part of the marathon event since 2016 because of my closeness to Nilayo Sports. Now, I am here in my capacity as AFN President. I must commend the sponspors and Lagos State government for the good work.

“At AFN, we will continue to do our best for the athletes to excel in both local and international competitions,” Okowa stated.

President of Nigerian Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Chief Solomon Ogba, revealed that he had to skip the ongoing Winter Olympics Games in Beijing, China, because of his desire to be physically present in this year’s edition of the Lagos City Marathon.

The Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management, organiser of the marathon event, Bukola Olopade stated that this year’s event would be special in many ways saying: “It is going to be a mixture of sports and entertainment.”

General Manager of the Race, Yussuf Alli, said that the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon was doing everything to achieve its dream as a Platinum Label event.

According to Alli, who has just been appointed Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Sports Commission, about 70,000 athletes will attend this years’s edition of the race, including the 42km and the 10km event.

He hinted that all necessary measures had been put in place to avoid cheating by the athletes.

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman, Lagos Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, has promised that the state would double its effort in making sure that the marathon race grow bigger and better.