Access Bank Lagos City Marathon 2023 holds February 4

The eighth edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon holds on Saturday (tomorrow) as a Gold-Label race.

A total of 50,000 athletes, including 76 foreign runners from 22 countries across the world, will participate in the marathon.

Among the world-class foreign runners billed to take part in this race are Kenya’s John Komen, who won the 2019 Athens Marathon at a time of 2:16:34. Kenya’s Barmasai David is another world class foreign runner with the biggest chances to prove a point at the race and Hayla Worku ran 2:07:32 at the Houston Marathon where he emerged champion in 2014. He ran 2:08:48 at the Praha Marathon in 2017, where he finished second place.

Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports Management, organisers of the race, Bukola Olopade, said he is hopeful that the invited foreign runners would give good account of themselves by recording good results that will boost their aim of securing the Platinum Label status soon.

Olopade appealed to Lagosians to see the race as their own, adding that the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon had put Nigeria on the world map.

“Considering the good weather we have at the moment, I am sure some of the foreign runners will achieve good results by finishing below two hours nine minutes. That will be a big boost to the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, and for residents in Lagos, we will continue to appeal to them to see this event as their own.”

“They shouldn’t feel bad about the few hours of restriction of movement in certain area of the city.

“Those residing along the route, where the event will take place, should endeavour to cheer the runners.

“They can eat their pounded yam and egusi soup while cheering them. We have good security arrangement along the route,” Olopade added.