Top Runners Invade Lagos for MTN Marathon
By Duro Ikhazuagbe, 11.17.2004With less than 48 hours to the grand finale of this year's AFN/MTN Lagos International Half Marathon, virtually all the invited international runners are in town for Saturday's fiesta.
According to top officials of the MTN Marathon Secretariat on Toyin Street, Ikeja, who confided in THISDAYSports last night, top on the list of reknown marathon runners in the country include winner of the last edition, Elijaj Nyabuti of Kenya.
Also in the country is Paul Kosgei, winner of the inaugural edition. Robert Kipchumba, number 3 in world half marathon ranking this year, and John Korir, silver medallist in 2002 MTN Half Marathon. Korir is the World Team champion in the Half marathon this year.
Although the names of other marathoners who have arrived Lagos for the big race could not be ascertained as at press time, THISDAYSports learnt that an interactive session will hold with athletic writers today where the world -class runners invited for the third edition will be formally unveiled.
As at Monday evening, no less than 30 top grade marathoners had confirmed their participation to the organisers of the half marathon event.
The list showed that Kenya topped with the most entries of seven. Niger Republic followed with six while Cameroon, Morocco, South Africa and Ethiopia registered two each.
Both Senegal and Zimbabwe registered one each.
Even as the excitement generated by the quality of entries for the race is causing much buzz in the track world in the country, local marathon runners who have distinguished themselves in the four regional meets have vowed to give the foreign invaders a run for the money at stake.
Wilson Eku, winner of the Kaduna Regional Marathon says Nigerian runners are now in a better position to compete with their colleagues from the rest part of Africa.
"Because of the long break in quality competitions most of our runners became rusty. But with the regional marathon we are now in competitive mood to challenge those coming to Lagos for the MTN Marathon on Saturday.
Eku, who is the only non Plateau athlete to win in the Kaduna Zone, is the winner of both the 5,000m and 10,000m events of the 2003 National Sports Festival.
He promised to run the half marathon in a record time.
Other top runners include Isa Kilobas, Monday Danjuma, Mathew Okoro and Isa Pwashak. They all gave good accounts of themselves at the regional marathons.
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