Global focus has now shifted to Okpekpe in Edo State, Nigeria as the next host of a World Athletics gold label road race in after the Türkiye İş Bankası Istanbul Half Marathon held in Istanbul, Turkey at the end of last month.
The Okpekpke International 10km road race which holds on the 25th of this month is the 23rd of the 45 World Athletics gold label races listed to hold this year in the calendar of World Athletics and like in previous years, it will be the only label road race to hold on the day irrespective of the label category.
Pamodzi Sports Marketing International, organizers of the race, says this year’s edition is a celebration of 10 years of organising a truly World class event that has made Nigeria one of the destinations of sort for sports, especially road running events.
‘We are proud of the big step we took in 2015 to make the Okpekpe 10km road race the first to get World Athletics’ recognition in West Africa with our bronze label status.
We are super delighted the effect we have had in getting more road races in Nigeria get World Athletics’ attention and the certification of over 15 road race courses in Nigeria by World Athletics accredited course measurer,’ said Zack Amodu, the race director.
Amodu is confident the Okpekpe 10km road race will continue to blaze the trail in Nigeria nay West Africa and believes the support of the host community, the race’s partners, the Edo state government in particular and the officials, especially the volunteers who work to organize the race that has continued to be recognized and applauded by World Athletics in the past nine years have been the motivating factor to keep setting the bar high.
‘The elite cast has been one of the best any gold label race could have and the result is that some of these elite athletes have gone on to become medalists at World Athletics sponsored global events as we saw last year when Daniel Ebenyo, the Kenya who owns our course record won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.
‘He is also the number one ranked athlete in World Athletics ranking for 10,000m and 10 kilometres,’ added Amodu.