Over 2,000 international elite athletes from across the world have registered for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, setting a record of entries for any marathon in Africa. The race holds on Saturday, 4 February.
The General Manager of the race, Yussuf Alli said at the weekend that: “The elite entries would have been more, if the organisers had not regulated it to a barest size over a week ago, towards effective and efficient management of the race. The large size was expected at it is one of the effects of a Gold-Label race. And Nilayo Sports Management is ready for it”.
Alli said that majority of the elite athletes are from Europe, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Asia and South America.
“And out of the pool of registered international elite athletes, the organisers have officially invited 47 male and 29 female world class athletes that will lead the bunch of first class athletes in the race. The rest will compete to chase the Gold-Label status as they continue in their quest to garner requisite internatiinal points to attain firstclass elite status as they grow professionally”, he further said.
Alli also said: “The Lagos City Marathon’s quest to attain to the Platinum Label race status, which is uppermost in the desires of the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited will be boosted if two male elite athletes can finish the race under two hours 10 minutes and three female athletes finish under 2 hours 12 minutes”.
A former African record holder in the long jump, Alli said that, for the eighth edition of the race, the athletes would have their running numbers in front and their names at the back of their competition jerseys.
“And to avoid any form of controversy, as clearly stipulated by World Athletics, there will be the photo finish device at the finish line of the race at the Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island”, he added.
In preparation for the firstever Gold-Label race in Nigeria, the Expo for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will begin on Monday morning at the Teslim Balogun, Surulere, Lagos. The Expo would see registered runners pick up their running kits and numbers.
The organisers will also have series of exhibitions towards the success of the Gold-Label race. Health talks and several other events geared towards the sucessful organisation of the race.
The Expo will run till 2 February, two days to the race. The start line for the full marathon has been slated for the National Stadium, Surulere.
There will also be the 10km race, which for the first time in Nigeria, will see elite athletes compete, as the organisers will be using the race to apply for a Gold-Label race status for 10km.
