Kenyans dominate 2020 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon

• Race Will Promote Tourism, Healthy Living, Says Sanwo-Olu

Kenya’s David Barsamai Tumo and Cherop Sharon Jemutai, yesterday won the 42km event of the 2020 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, which ended at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island Lagos.

The race, which kicked off in the early hours of yesterday at the National Stadium, Surulere, witnessed the athletes run through the Lekki roundabout by the Ikoyi-Lekki Link bridge up to the Eko Atlantic City, which was the finishing point, saw Tumo broke the marathon’s record and finished first in 2:10:23secs in the men’s category, while Jemutai won the women’s class in 2:31:40secs, as they were rewarded with the sum of $50,000 each for their efforts.

Debeko Dakamo and Paul Chege, however, came second and third respectively in the men’s category, while Kebene Urisa and Tanui Jekporir also finished second and respectively in the women class. And they got $40,000 and $30,000 each respectively courtesy of Access Bank Plc.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who joined the race at Marina, expressed satisfaction with the race and pledged his administration’s continued effort at boosting sports and tourism.

“We want to put Lagos City Marathon on the global marathon calendar and we are on our way there. Very soon, it will become a marathon that athletes from every part of the world will come and join us. Today’s event is the beginning of our administration’s tourism agenda,” he said.

While commending the organisers, Sanwo-Olu said the marathon had been able to boost the tourism potential of the state, promising that few years down the line, it would be a major event on the global marathon race calendar.

“We want Lagos to remain on the tourism master plan of athletes worldwide. We want the marathon to also become part of us because we all want to live a healthy life. We want it to be a work and play environment, we want to keep fit and we want to make healthy running a way of life for all of us so that we can reduce sicknesses amongst ourselves.

“But more importantly, we can have a communion where family members both young and old can come together, have fun, do great exercise and enjoy themselves and also make money out of it,” the governor said.

The Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, thanked the governor for his unwavering support and cooperation before and during the event.

He reiterated that the bank would continually impact communities it serves through “eliminating environmental and economic issues, as well as investing in activities that have a strong impact on the social structure of these communities.”

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Gyan and Deborah Pam finished first in the men and women’s categories by Nigerians.