At least 100,000 athletes from 27 countries, including Nigeria, will take part in today’s marathon race in Lagos.
The sports contest, now in its second edition and sponsored by Access Bank Plc., will take place between 7am and 2pm with participants running through major routes across the city.
Scheduled to take off from the National Stadium at Surulere and terminate at Eko Atlantic City on Victoria Island, Lagos, the race will feature around 64 elite athletes from 26 countries, 30 special athletes and 102 runners from Nigeria.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, speaking through his Special Adviser on Sports and Chairman of the state’s Sports Commission, Mr. Deji Tinubu, on Friday said adequate preparations had been put in place to ensure the safety of participants and overall success of the event.
President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Ogba; the Acting President of the International Association of Ultra runners, Mr. Nadeem Khan; representatives of the International Association of Athletics Federations, and representatives of the sponsors, while assuring Lagosians of a great experience, said the event was designed to be among the top 10 in the world.
To ensure a hitch-free exercise, the state government announced the deployment of 300 officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority across major parts of the city to make human and vehicular movement easier during the duration of the event.
Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Lagos, Kehinde Bada, also said the command would deploy 350 officers and men to further prevent any crisis during the event.
However, following the announcement, motorists and residents had expressed deep concern over the closure of some roads within the city today, saying it will affect them adversely.
