Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State ran in the first Enugu City International Marathon. He finished the 10-kilometre race in 45 minutes on Saturday.
Elite athletes from many African countries came to the event. This shows Enugu State wants to be a center for sports tourism and investment.
The full 42km marathon saw runners from East Africa take the top spots. Ken Kopos from Kenya won the men’s elite race. His winning time was 2:22:32. He received the grand prize of $15,000.
Two other Kenyans, Steve Baswey and Bernard Sang, finished second and third. They earned $10,000 and $5,000 respectively for their efforts.
In the women’s elite race, Shaoline Chepriroi of Kenya was the winner. Her finishing time was 2:44:37. Ethiopia’s Tilahu Birul came in second place with a time of 2:45:10. Rita Busiengy, also from Kenya, finished third in 2:47:17. They were awarded $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
Nigerian Athletes Shine
Nigerian athletes also performed well in the international competition. Blessing Shambo was the top Nigerian woman. She finished fourth overall in the elite women’s division. Her time was 2:48:04. She received ₦1 million for being the best Nigerian female runner.
Charity Agofure finished behind her in 2:55:03. Elizabeth Pam came in third among Nigerian women with a time of 3:01:45. They earned ₦750,000 and ₦500,000 respectively for their achievements.
In the men’s elite category, Davou Gyang was the leading Nigerian finisher. He completed the marathon in 2:29:03. He narrowly beat Boyi Nyango, who finished just three seconds later. Iliya Pam secured the third position among Nigerian men. They were awarded cash prizes of ₦1 million, ₦750,000, and ₦500,000 respectively for their strong performances.
In the 10km road race, Lydia Akusho, Esther Afigbo, and Mwantiti Davou were the top three women. For the men in the 10km race, Francis James finished first. Iliya Raymond came in second, and Boyi Gang finished third.
The marathon received support from international and national athletics organizations.
World Athletics, represented by Nadeem Khan, President of the International Ultra Runners, oversaw the event. Chief Tony Okowa, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, and Chief Solomon Ogba, 1st Vice President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, also supervised the races.
Gov Mbah Speaks On His Vision For the Marathon
Governor Mbah expressed his happiness with the success of the first international marathon. He restated his government’s plan. The goal is to make Enugu a key place for sports, tourism, and investment.
“What we have just witnessed is a spectacular event. It is a testament to the power of sports,” he said, reminding the audience to, “Remember that I told those who participated in last year’s Enugu City Half Marathon that we were going to elevate it to an international event. Have we not done that?”
He further noted, “The International Marathon attracted elite runners from across Africa — Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea. Next year, we will attract elite athletes from across the globe. Our goal is to make the Enugu City International Marathon a major fixture on the World Athletics calendar.”
Mbah also explained how this event fits into the state’s larger goal. They aim to attract three million visitors each year. They plan to use sports and tourism as major ways to boost the economy.
He said, “Sports, for us, is beyond recreation. It is a serious business. Through these events, we will nurture talent, inspire dreams, and create opportunities. People will come to Enugu, and they will spend their money.”
The Governor thanked several key people for their hard work. These included the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu. He also thanked the consulting firm led by Yetunde Olopade of Nilayo Sports Management Limited. Finally, he acknowledged the security and logistics teams that ensured the event ran smoothly and safely for all participants and spectators.
Dignitaries Participate
Many important people attended the start of the marathon. These included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu. Former Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, was also present.
The Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Uchenna Ugwu, attended, along with federal and state lawmakers, commissioners, and other government officials. They all came to show their support and take part in the exciting event.
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