• About
  • Advertise
  • Our Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, June 12, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
MetrowatchXtra
  • WORLD
  • BUSINESS
  • POLITICS
  • HEALTH
  • SPORTS
  • OP-ED
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • WORLD
  • BUSINESS
  • POLITICS
  • HEALTH
  • SPORTS
  • OP-ED
  • ENTERTAINMENT
No Result
View All Result
MetrowatchXtra
No Result
View All Result
Home SPORTS

2 Ethiopian Runners Win $60,000 Prize in Lagos City Marathon

•Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, Shaibu, Dare race with athletes

MetrowatchXtra by MetrowatchXtra
February 12, 2022
0 0
0
•Ethiopian runner, Ulfata Deresa, finished the 42-kilometre-long race.

•Ethiopian runner, Ulfata Deresa, finished the 42-kilometre-long race.

By Ngozi Ekhator

 

At exactly 8:03am on Saturday, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu crossed the finish line of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, ceremonially becoming the first athlete to breast the final ribbon.

 

Ethiopian runner, Ulfata Deresa, finished the 42-kilometre-long race 11 minutes after the Governor’s arrival and became the winner of the marathon’s 7th edition in the male category. He set a new finish time record of 2:11:58 and clinched $30,000 cash prize.

 

Sanwo-Olu took off from the State House in Marina, jogging through highways to Eko Atlantic City; he covered 8km distance in 40 minutes.

 

The Governor teamed up with his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, Minister for Sport and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, Lagos Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Shola Aiyepeku, and LSSC Director-General, Gafaar Bolowotan, among other top functionaries, to participate in the symbolic flag-off.

 

The marathon is an elite-labeled athletic fiesta held in second weekend in February of every year in Lagos and draws participation from local and international teams in the athletic ecosystem. It kicked off at 6am.

 

Sanwo-Olu said the event had consistently placed Lagos on the global radar, noting that the sporting fiesta had become a yearly ritual for athletes.

READ ALSO  Buhari Concludes Ogun Visit, Vows to Deliver 2 Major Roads in S'West This Year

 

The Governor said the marathon embodied the spirit of Lagos, which teaches endurance, perseverance and resilience while toiling through physical strength.

 

He said: “One of the objectives of this event is to put Lagos on a global platform in the area of sport. Every year, new records are broken and the marathon gets bigger and better. As a Government, we are fully committed to sustaining this noble initiative and leading from the front to ensure that all participants, especially, our youths, get the best from this event.

 

“I acknowledge the great work which Access Bank and all other sponsors have put in to make this edition a success. The goal of the marathon is to use sport as a tool to promote physical fitness, togetherness, resilience and every virtue that can make human beings progress and live fulfilling life. This is the strongest rallying point for our youths and next edition would be better than what we have had this year.”

 

Sanwo-Olu pledged his Government would be relentless in raising the status of the marathon to a platinum-labeled event to attract more participants beyond Africa.

 

This, the Governor said, would open up the State’s economy for more foreign investment and boost tourism revenue for operators in the sector.

READ ALSO  Update: Myanmar Military Reduces Suu Kyi’s Prison Sentence to 2 Years

 

Sanwo-Olu said the decision of Kenyan Airways, a global aviation brand, to be part of the sponsors of the event this year indicated that the marathon would bring more tourism opportunities for Lagos if attained platinum level.

 

“We target the next two years to get this marathon to the platinum level, which means the event would be fully globalised. When this is achieved, every second weekend in February becomes calendarised for this marathon and Lagos would become a place to be and a destination for all sport enthusiasts,” the Governor said.

 

Presenting the prizes to the winners, Sanwo-Olu encouraged participants from Nigeria to brace themselves for first prizes in the next year’s edition.

 

Two Kenyans, David Barmasai and Naibe Emmanuel, finished as first and second runners-up in the male category, at 2:13:27 and 2:14:42 respectively. They got a cash prize of $20,000 and $15,000.

 

In the female category, Ethiopian marathoner, Dagne Siranesh Yirga, won the race at 2:33:50. She received $30,000 cash prize.

 

Alemenesh Herehaguta and Naomi Maiyo, both Kenyans, won $20,000 and $15,000 as first and second runners-up in the female category.

 

Tags: Babajide Sanwo-OluEthiopian RunnersLagos City Marathon
MetrowatchXtra

MetrowatchXtra

RELATED POST

Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Declares Sanwo-Olu’s Ally, Aisha Achimugu Wanted
Latest News

Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Declares Sanwo-Olu’s Ally, Aisha Achimugu Wanted

by Kemi Sheriepha
March 28, 2025
0

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu wanted. Achimugu is a known ally of Lagos...

Read moreDetails
EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu Suspends Aide, Ajetunmobi, for Misrepresentation of Facts

EndSARS: Sanwo-Olu Suspends Aide, Ajetunmobi, for Misrepresentation of Facts

November 26, 2024
TUC

N85,000 Minimum Wage Shows Sanwo-Olu’s Commitment to Workers’ Welfare, Says TUC

October 18, 2024
Sanwo-Olu

BREAKING | Minimum Wage: Lagos Will Pay Workers N85,000, Says Sanwo-Olu

October 16, 2024
Nigeria’s Rainy Season: Can Lagos Lead the Fight Against Floods? | METROWATCH

Nigeria’s Rainy Season: Can Lagos Lead the Fight Against Floods? | METROWATCH

July 7, 2024
Sanwo-Olu

Oborevwori Greets Sanwo-Olu at 59 | METROWATCH

June 25, 2024
Load More

APO

Recent Posts

  • It Gives Me Pleasure to Witness You in Disarray, Tinubu Mocks Opposition Parties
  • Tinubu Confers National Honour on Yar’Adua, Kudirat Abiola, Others (See Full List)
  • FULL TEXT : Tinubu’s Address at Joint National Assembly Session on Democracy Day
  • Defections: APC Can’t be Blamed for Bailing People Out of Sinking Ship, Tinubu Says
  • Tinubu Arrives National Assembly for Democracy Day Address

Recommended

‘How PDP New NWC will Operate’ By Iyorchia Ayu

PDP Crisis Gets Messier — 6 NWC members return millions secretly paid into their accounts

3 years ago
police

Man Kills Wife over Cooking Argument in Lagos | METROWATCH

1 year ago
MetrowatchXtra

MetrowatchXtra is an online daily newspaper poised to act as a catalyst in our debate and desire for well-governed Nigeria and provide the much-needed platform for all, irrespective of social, religious or political divide, to express their views.
Metrowatchxtra Nigeria

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Our Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2024 Metrowatchxtra Nigeria Published by Miraculous Media Connect Limited. All rights reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • World
  • Business
  • Science
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Health

© 2024 Metrowatchxtra Nigeria Published by Miraculous Media Connect Limited. All rights reserved