Kenya’s Abraham Kiptum has emerged winner of the 2017 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon and will be going home with the cash prize of $50,000.
Kiptum won the 42.1km race for the second time after he won the maiden edition in a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, 21 seconds.
7-year old Nigerian girl, Damilola Oluwaseyi, also surprised a lot of people at the marathon as she crossed the finish line.
Although Oluwaseyi started the race from her house in Lekki, many were surprised that at her young age, she deemed it fit to challenge herself.
About 100, 000 athletes from 27 countries including Nigeria participated in the second edition of Access Bank sponsored Lagos Marathon billed to hold from 7am to 2pm today.
Also, 64 elite athletes from 26 countries and 102 from Nigeria, as well as 30 special athletes will also be participating in the marathon scheduled to start from National Stadium in Surulere and terminate at Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island.
The star prize is $50,000 for the winner, while the first Nigerian runner will get N1 million.
Before the race started, Addressing a world press conference on Friday at Eko Hotels and Suites, Deji Tinubu, who. Represented Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said adequate preparations have been put in place to ensure a successful event, assuring that the marathon had been designed to be bigger and better than the previous edition.
Tinubu who is Ambode’s special adviser on sports addressed the briefing alongside President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr Solomon Ogba; Acting President of International Association of Ultra runners, Mr Nadeem Khan; representatives of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and representatives of the sponsors of the event.
He said the event was meant to showcase the excellence of Lagos to the world as well as encourage sporting activities among the people.
“We want to show the world that Lagos can be and Lagos can do what it is expected of it as a mega city; we want to show to the world the tourism potentials of Lagos; we want to show to the world that Lagos is safe; we want to show to the world that Lagos can be the choice destination for sports, tourism and entertainment and that is why we are doing this.”
