Lagos City Marathon: A decade of thrill, glamour for Access Bank

For organisers of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, it has been a decade of courage, resilience, and sheer grit.

Ten years on, Nigerians are reaping the full benefits of the Marathon, especially its contributions to the economic development of the host city, Lagos in particular, the and the nation in general.

In the same way, long distance runners from across the globe continue to smile going by the huge financial gains they make at every edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon since 2016.

At inception, the goal of the partnership was to provide strategic support to the country’s sports industry and promote a healthy and active lifestyle among citizens. The campaign activities was built around the theme: ‘Running from the Old to the New’.

The 2016 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon had 50,000 registered participants, and was ranked second in Africa, after the Cape Town Marathon by the All-Athletics.com. It was also ranked 71 among over 1,000 international marathons across the globe.

One major achievement by the marathon was clinching the World Athletics Bronze Label on the heels of its second edition in 2017, becoming the third marathon in the world to accomplish such feat within that time.

The marathon got awarded the Silver Label two years later (2019), becoming the first ever marathon in the world to attain this after only four editions.

And in 2023, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon earned the World Athletics Gold Label ahead of that year’s edition of the Race, officially becoming the first full marathon in Africa to achieve this historic feat and the 25th in the world to be awarded the coveted status.

It is worthy to note that the World Athletics Gold Label is awarded to races that satisfy the international body’s requirements in terms of quality of organisation and management among other criteria.

With its new status come higher expectations for this 10th edition, and the organisers and sponsors of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon are saying that come Saturday, February 15, 2025, they will deliver a race that rivalled previous editions in reach, impact and magnitude— proving that the Marathon is indeed worthy of its status and is well on its way to clinching the elite label.

Hopefully, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will aim at the Platinum Label, which is the highest rating any international marathon can attain.

Among its many achievements in the past, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon partnered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to provide a platform for fundraising and awareness for refugees across Africa. Executed for the first time in 2023 edition, over 16 refugees from across Africa and Syria participated in the enthralling road race.

Access Bank PLC teamed up with ParallelPoint Consult to carry out a recyclable waste pickup initiative during one of its past editions, an effort which resulted in the collection of 10,000 tonnes of waste that were transformed into useful and socially beneficial products.

To reinforce its commitment to sustainability during the Race, Access Bank PLC collaborated with The Nigeria Business Coalition Against Aids (NiBUCAA) to launch a massive HIV/AIDS awareness initiative. This included informative sessions to educate people about HIV/AIDS, as well as the distribution of condoms and provision of HIV testing and counseling services to 5,486 participants. This partnership aimed to promote HIV/AIDS awareness and help prevent its spread.

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, in particular, has empowered a number of people in the hospitality industry, including food and drink vendors, fashion designers, advertisers, communication agencies and experts, technical officers, and volunteers that were all engaged from the planning stage to the completion of the marathon. The entertainment industry is not left out.
In Nigeria, tourists especially love “African souvenirs”, many of which are made available along the routes of the marathon and off-site.

Within a short period, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon grew in strength. The 2018 edition hosted 35 gold label athletes, 12 silver and 13 bronze label athletes, including 120 international and 150 Nigerian elite athletes. These numbers do not take into account the tourists who were also present as observers and supporters of the racers.

In 2019, 120,000 people registered to run the 42km path from the National Stadium, Surulere to Eko Atlantic.

Over the years, the marathon has grown, pulling in more sponsors and participants, and with them, more observers and enthusiasts.

Beyond the fit and active lifestyle that running promotes, marathons have become sport tourism events. People now participate in marathons for other reasons which include; self-esteem booster, self-actualisation, self-therapy, and even socialisation.

Marathons are not only beneficial to the participants but also to the host cities. It is for this reason that more cities are launching races to promote tourism and boost their image.

Lagos, a cosmopolitan city, has been a destination point for many tourists across the globe. The route for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon was excellently planned to show off some of the city’s finest landmarks, including Eko Atlantic which only grows in splendour as the construction of the megacity continues.

Taking into consideration the transportation, hotels, dining, social activities, post-run sightseeing, family and friends that are likely to accompany the runners, and the size of some marathons, it’s an easy guess that marathons cause a notable boost to the host city’s tourism industry.

By hosting a marathon widely watched across the continent and the world, Lagos has consistently informed investors, tourists, and foreign governments that the state is ready for business.

While recognising the effort and investment required in hosting such an event, it also further stimulates future tourist visits, not just during the event. For example, the inevitable economic benefit for many countries that have hosted the Olympic Games include the post-Olympic effect of an influx in international tourist arrivals.

Additionally, event publicity also increases interest and the demand for local products and services from vendors, fashion designers, advertisers, travel agencies and experts, even when consumers are yet to visit the area.

Different marathons attract runners who spend money on consumables and sports equipment. International participants also spend money on flights and accommodation, while local athletes (who make up to 90 per cent of the runners) also spend money on consumables and every other opportunity in order to fully experience the marathon.

Extending the impact of the Race beyond the participating athletes and sustainability-led projects, the Marathon has featured various converts for attendees who came out to be entertained. Nigeria’s Afro House queen, Niniola, as well as great entertainers like Zlatan and Shina Peters invented the Owambe party into the event with the entertainment segment, which reflected Access Bank’s penchant for excellence and outperforming expectations.

Indeed, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is putting Africa on the global map and has gained the attention of the global athletics community. This is evidenced by the august visit of Alessio Punzi, Head of Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics and Norie Williamson, Member of the World Athletics Technical Committee, to observe the race’s organisation and execution in Lagos.

Former Group Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, the late Herbert Wigwe, played a vital role in ensuring the Marathon become what it is today.

While speaking about the Marathon, Wigwe said: “As one of the leading banks in Nigeria and indeed Africa, it is imperative for us to support the economic and social development of the communities in which we operate. Hence, we have sponsored the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon since 2016 to make Lagos State more attractive to tourists and foreign investors alike.

“We have also used this platform as an avenue to create ratite for us to support the economic and social development of the communities in which we operate. Hence, we have sponsored the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to create more jobs and opportunities to thousands in the state,” Wigwe stated.

Nilayo Sports Management has been the sole organizer of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon since its inception in 2016.

In 2024, former Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports, Chief Bukola Olopade, who is now the General Manager of the National Sports Commission (NSC) said that economic impact of the Marathon does not just end after the runners have crossed the finish line.

He said: “These people return to their home countries and share their experiences about Nigeria and particularly the city of Lagos. This is likely the most plausible explanation why the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has enjoyed exponential growth over the years. We in Nilayo Sports Management will continue to do our best to ensure this event continue to grow.”

With his appointment as DG, NSC, Olopade has since relinquished his position at Nilayo Sports Management. His wife, Mrs. Yetunde Olopade has since taken over the mantle of leadership and has promised to deliver the best ever event come February 15, 2025, a day after the Valentine (Lovers Day).

In 2018, World athletics governing body (former IAAF), introduced the Platinum Label for the 2020 season. For the 2021 season, the Platinum Label was renamed Elite Platinum Label, the Gold Label was renamed Elite Label, and the Silver and Bronze Labels were merged into Label Races.

The Labels are assessed and awarded each year. Race organisers have to apply to the World Athletics for recognition, and show that their race can meet a number of criteria. The criteria vary for the different levels; Gold Labels have the strictest requirements, followed by Silver, then Bronze. All three categories require what the World Athletics describes as an international elite field, that requires at least five nations (four for Bronze) to be represented by runners with times faster than the World Athletics’ guidelines.

In line with this year’s theme, the organisers say they will continue to push the limit, aim for more and build towards achieving the exclusive Platinum Label status.