All is now set for the 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon billed for Saturday February 10, with a record 88 world elite athletes vying for the $50,000 at stake.
The 42km race as usual will start at the National Stadium Lagos by 6.30am and finish at the Eko Atlantic City on Victoria Island. There is also the 10km race meant for the Nigerian athletes who cannot cope with the international standards, N1,000,000 is at stake for the top finisher.
One of the pacers for the elite athletes Bernard Cheti who has been a regular for nine editions said all the athletes are ready to compete and return in good times as organisers of the race are looking for the magic 2.8hrs run that will further boost the chances of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon becoming a gold label race.
“We are all looking forward to competing here, it has been fantastic coming here for nine editions and I can say that this is one of the best races in the world,” said Bernard
“But the runners have asked me to tell the organisers that payment of winning prizes should be within a month.”
Responding, Access Bank Lagos City Marathon general manager Yusuf Alli stated that, once all the winners have been cleared of any doping offence they would get their winnings within the one month stipulated for payments.
“The winning prizes for athletes is guaranteed and the man in charge is ready to pay once all the winning athletes have been cleared of doping,” said Alli.
He noted that all arrangements have been put in place to produce a world standard run as they aim to be a gold label status race.
“Though the humidity is 100 percent which makes it difficult to produce a 2.8hrs, we have the flattest race course in the world and so that we are hopeful the athletes will give it their best to give us the performance that will put the race in the world top bracket,” added the former Nigerian international athlete.
The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon started in 2016 with Abraham Kiptom of Kenya winning the title with a time of 2.16.26 seconds. The first female winner was Halima Huseen Kayo of Ethiopia.
