Organisers Target 5,000 Athletes For 2nd Ikogosi 17.5km Marathon

Not less than 5,000 athletes were being expected to enactment successful the 2nd Ikogosi 17.5km Marathon Race scheduled to beryllium held astatine the Ikogosi Warm Spring, Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti State, connected November 8.

Organisers of the Marathon Race disclosed this astatine a property league successful Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, connected Tuesday.

The Race Consultant, Femi Abegunde, said some elite and section runners volition enactment successful the lawsuit organised by the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative successful concern with Ekiti State Government.

Abegunde stressed that the contention was planned to comparison with planetary marathons standards, assuring of information of lives and spot and arsenic good those of the athletes.

“The Ikogosi Marathon is much than a sporting event; it is simply a level for tourism, health, and assemblage development. The contention volition beforehand Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort arsenic a planetary tourer attraction, boost section businesses done accrued patronage, and promote fittingness and steadfast surviving crossed Nigeria,” Abegunde said.

The advisor said the 2nd edition, a 17.5km contention was an betterment implicit the 10km contention for maiden variation with implicit 2,000 runners.

“This variation is projected to invited betwixt 4,000 and 5,000 indigenous and elite runners, making it 1 of the astir breathtaking long-distance races successful the region,” helium said.

He further disclosed that athletes volition beryllium rewarded with charismatic prizes to promote excellence.

According to Abegunde, winners of the antheral and pistillate elite runners volition person N2million each, portion the 2nd prize is slated astatine N1.5m each for antheral and pistillate successful the elite category, and the 3rd prize is N1m each for antheral and female.

As portion of efforts to promote Ekiti indigenes to enactment arsenic runners, Abegunde unveiled N1.5m prize each for antheral and female, N1m for 2nd prize, portion the 3rd prize is slated for N500,000.

He added that the 4th to 10th indigenous runners, antheral and female, would besides get prizes.

Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji described the Ikogosi Marathon arsenic a flagship task that embodies his administration’s imaginativeness for sports development, tourism promotion, and younker empowerment.

Represented by Dr Olusola Osetoba, his method advisor connected Sports, Oyebanji stated that the state’s concern with the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative demonstrated a shared committedness to positioning Ekiti arsenic Nigeria’s starring sports-tourism destination.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Ministry of Youths Development, Mrs Sola-Femi Adeluyi said the Ikogosi Marathon volition assistance the younker to cultivate resilience and leadership, and boost economical activities.

Adeluyi assured the organisers of the enactment of the Ekiti younker for the success of the event.