Only students from Nigeria secondary schools, either private or government-owned, who are 17 years or below are the only ones eligible for prizes to be awarded to winners of the 5km Student Race in the Abuja International Marathon slated for April 29, 2023.
Speaking to the media in Abuja on Thursday FCT Director of School Sports Adamu Hashimu said the essence of the 5km race is to encourage our youth to embrace road races and marathons, “Nigerians who are familiar with the performances of our people will remember that when the world record in the marathon was 2 hours: 08 minutes, Nigerians like Abass Mohammed and Yohanna Waziri were running 2 hours 14 hours a very good time that has won about seven editions of the Lagos Marathon. In the FCT Sports Department, we have our own Hulda Nwokocha who once placed 5th in the marathon at the World Universities Games.
“So, we need to start a development program that see our students especially those from the Northern part of Nigeria, who have similar physiological traits with Kenyans and Ethiopians, embrace the culture of marathon and road races at a tender age”
Hashimu also said that before prizes are paid the race organizers, Unicentral Resources Generation Limited and FCTA will confirm the information on the entry form of the winners from their respective schools.
The Abuja International Marathon, the first international in Abuja and FCT will hold on April 29, 2023. The race is in three categories: the 5km Students Race, the 10km Family Run and the 42.195 km Full Marathon.
The race starts at the City Gate and ends at Eagles Square. Build-up activities begin on Friday, April 21, 2023, with the Marathon Expo at The Pavilion, besides International Conference Center opposite Radio House. The Expo opens at 9 am and ends at 6 pm. Registration which is free is still going on at the Expo venue, the office of Unicentral at Ogun House, CDB Abuja, and the Sports Department of FCT, also intending runners can simply register at abujainternationalmarathon.com.
