Today marks 30 days to go until the start of the sixth edition of the IAAF Silver Label Okpekpe international 10km road race which holds on Saturday May 12,2018 in Okpekpe, Etsako East local government area of Edo State.
According to Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of the event, this year’s race, the first ever IAAF silver label road race to be organised in West Africa will be technology-driven.
Although there will be an increase in numbers between the preliminary entries and final participants, the race is on target to become the largest since the first edition in 2013.
“Our mission remains the same and this is to ensure we get more Nigerians involved in road running so that we can restore that tradition that we had in the past when Abbas Mohammed ran a world class 2 hours,16 minutes in the full marathon,’ said Spokesman for the race, Dare Esan.
Esan is confident the organisation of the race will be the best ever witnessed in the history of road races in Nigeria.
“The fact that it is now a silver label race has made it compulsory that we move a notch up to meet the requirements for organising a race that the IAAF has designated as one of the leading road races around the world,†Esan added.
Registration is still open for interested participants and will close on Saturday, May 5, a clear one week before the race.
“This will help in terms of preparing a start-list of athletes confirmed for the race as well as prepare a result sheet that will aid journalists send instant reports back to their various organisations. What we have noticed in road races in Nigeria is the absence of start-list for a race and this is hampered by the fact that in some races registration is done even on the eve of the race.
“Okpekpe race is world-class and it is organised in strict adherence to all relevant IAAF competition rules. This gave us the bronze label in 2015,the first ever by a road race in Nigeria nay West Africa and now the silver. This is no mean feat as we have satisfied all the very conditions set by the IAAF,” Esan noted.
The Okpekpe international 10km road race is one of two road races in Nigeria certified by the IAAF and the only one recognised by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).
It is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, leaders in sports marketing and hospitality business in Nigeria.
