Director General of Lagos State Sports Commission, Olalekan Fatodu has given an insight into the reasons the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is gaining wider and global recognition and acceptability.
This year’s race is holding on Saturday in the Lagos metropolis
Fatodu said the race, which has a unique global label of excellence, helped the event to be ranked among the big marathons across the world.
“Lagos State is ready for business, a connecting point for entrepreneurs and enterprise, an attraction for sporting activities, entertainment, manufacturing and information technology and they have a feel of this through Marathon under Lagos State Sports Commission”, Fatodu emphasized.
He added that “Through hospitality the foreigners will be our spokesperson to sell the State and tell others that Lagos is a place to be and it is filled with so many opportunities”.
Meanwhile, preparation is in top gear for the race to hold on Saturday as over 81 world class elite runners who are basically Gold Label athletes have confirmed their participation in the 9th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
Among these over 81 elite runners, there are 29 gold label women runners, which in totality, according to the General Manager of the Lagos City Marathon, Yusuf Ali, has a very rich and world class running field with the potential of unearthing a new course record come February 10.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, the owners of the Lagos City Marathon, Chief Bukola Olopade, the United Nations, has also confirmed the participation of 15 refugee runners among the rich field of runners that will be participating in the 9th Lagos City Marathon.
The race General Manager, and former Africa record holder in the Long Jump for 27 years, noted that, the confirmation of over 81 world class Gold Label runners, is positive thing for the 9th edition of the Lagos City Marathon, especially as the organisers are preparing for the 10th edition of the race with the biggest prospect of uplifting the race from the Gold Label status to the Platinuum Label.
“Our target is to ensure that our registered world class elite runners help propel the Lagos City Marathon to the Platinuum Label. This is possible with the calibre of runners that will be on the field on February 10. If we can produce five elite runners crossing the finish line at 2 hours 8 minutes, we shall most definitely climb to the Platinuum Label.
“With the presence of a former world record holder like Demis Kipmeto on 2 hours 02 minutes and 57 seconds, Kelkile Gezahegan (Ethiopia) on 2hours 05 minutes and 56 seconds, Kiptoo Edwin on 2hours 06 minutes and 52 seconds and female runners like Valary Jemeli (Kenya) on 2 hours 19minutes, there is a huge possibility that the status of the Lagos City Marathon will change at the end of this race on Saturday, February 10.
Yusuf Ali, disclosed that, the 9th Lagos City Marathon will be used to select qualifiers for the next edition of the Olympic Games, Paris 2024.
