The Kenyans are here, will you be there?

Saturday February 11 is the 2^nd edition of the Access Lagos City Marathon. At 7:00am, over 100,000 runners are expected to take off from the National Stadium, Surulere. The destination and the 42.3 km mark is Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island.

Why a marathon in Africa’s most populous city, Lagos? In 2012, President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba asked the office of the governor to organize a full marathon as is done in several megacities around the world. It was not until 2016 that this dream was realized.

Mr. Deji Tinubu, from the office of the Governor of Lagos gave more reasons for why a Lagos Marathon at today’s press conference. “Lagos is a safe and choice spot for sports and tourism. We want to show the world the excellence of the city.”

This year, the Access Lagos City Marathon has picked up more sponsors, more international athletes, and more enthusiasm shown by the residents of Lagos. On social media, there have been trending hashtags such as #iGetStamina, #RunLagos, #RunYourRace, and #7UpRunDiff.

Who are the right people running the marathon? There are 64 elite athletes from 26 nationalities set to run Saturday’s race. Yes, the Kenyans are here and so are the Ethiopians. Last year, Kenya’s Abraham Kiptom won the title and $50,000, while Hosea Kipkeboi also from Kenya went home with $40,000. Ethiopia’s Debebe Tolosa came in third and was awarded with $30,000.

For the 2^nd edition, the prize money remains unchanged from the marathon’s 1^st edition. A prize payout in dollars is nail-biting considering the alarming exchange rates of foreign currency that plagues Nigeria. 102 elite Nigerian athletes will also be vying for the winners’ podium. N1, 000,000 is the prize money for the first Nigerian. The first 20 runners will receive monetary awards for crossing the finishing line in good time.

Among the Nigerian runners will be 30 special needs athletes. For the past 6 months, these athletes have been training at the National Stadium in Surulere with good motive. N1,000,000, N750,000, and N500,000 have been set aside for the first three special needs athletes to reach Eko Atlantic City.

Many have wondered if the city of Lagos is capable of hydrating the over 100,000 runners that will hit the road tomorrow. Aquafina, one of the sponsors of this edition will deploy 300,000 bottles of water in 20 hydrating stations. In total, 30% more of the required water needs have been taken care of by Aquafina.

The organizers have taken measures to reinforce security, control traffic, and respond to medical emergencies. So, do not be alarmed at the number of uniformed officials who will be on the road tomorrow. For the city of Lagos, the goal is to put the 42.3km race among the top 10 marathons in the world. As Lagos welcomes the world, will you be there?