ACCESS/LAGOS MARATHON
Lagos marathon and road races prodigy, Aminat Olowora, has hailed Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for embracing marathon and road races culture.
The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has now put Lagos amongst great marathon destinations like London, Berlin, New York, Boston and other cities around the world with well known marathon races.
Olowora, winner of the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m events at the Eko 2012 National Sports Festival will love to participate at the 2017 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon if invited by Governor Ambode.
Olowora is currently studying at the Oklahoma City University where she won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) women’s cross country championships last November.
That feat ensured she was voted the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Woman Athlete of the Year.
“I will be delighted to be a part of the Access Bank/Lagos City Marathon,” said Olowora who holds the Nigeria record in 5,000m (15:47.6) and 10,000m (33:43.00) .
Asked why she did not register to run in the race coming up next month, the sensational long distance runner says she has to be invited to race.
“I am a student and I don’t have the money to transport myself to Nigeria. This is why I haven’t been home since I came here (USA).”
Olowora reveals she has not done any marathon since she moved to the USA but says she is ready for the race any day.
“I am trained to run in any event, from 800m to full marathon. The last time I competed in the full marathon was when I was in Nigeria,” stressed the road runner.
The athlete also believes she could break the East African domination of the event.
“My main goal is to one day become the best in the world and I know to do that I need to out-run the Kenyans and the Ethiopians. I have been training hard to make sure I achieve this,” she says adding that she has beaten so many Kenyans and Ethiopians in the NAIA circuits.
“They are however not the type of Kenyans and Ethiopians I want to beat…the ones I want to beat are the ones running in the big marathons across the globe.”
Olowora reserves special praise for Ambode for returning long distance running to Lagos.
“This is what we need to make us competitive. The more athletes see competitions, the more motivated they are,’’ she said.
