Over 4,000 runners from 42 countries around the world have registered to participate in the 2019 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
This figure does not include the over 200 professional elite cast mostly from Asia, Europe, America, Kenya, Ethiopia and other East, Central and South African countries.
Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Head of Communications and Media, Olukayode Thomas, revealed that Americans are the highest number of foreigners that will be coming to Lagos for 2019 race slated for February 2, 2019.
Japanese are a close second. Other countries whose citizens have registered for the 2019 race include Holland, Germany, Israel, Poland, England, New Zealand, Canada, Egypt, Austria, Tunisia, Norway, Denmark and others.
Thomas is optimistic that the number will increase before the close of entries in January 2019.
In the first edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon in 2016 about a hundred runners from 15 countries participated, in 2017 there were over a thousand runners from 20 countries and the 2018 edition had over 2,000 runners from 30 countries.
Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Consultant, Bukola Olopade, attributed the increase in the number of tourists coming to Lagos for the race to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s several initiatives and beautification of Lagos State since he was elected governor and has made the state tourist friendly.
“We thank Governor Ambode for the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon which is driving a high number of tourists to Lagos annually but apart from the marathon his beautification of Lagos and other laudable projects like the One Lagos Fiesta and others have turned Lagos State into a tourist destination,” observed the former commissioner for sports in Ogun State.
Olopade assured stakeholders that the 2019 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will be better than the previous editions in several areas.
“This year, we are expecting about 150,000 runners, I can assure you that we are planning for more than figure, we have expanded the recovery areas and medals and certificates that will go round all the runners, entertainment, as usual, will be world-class, this edition will be an experience of a lifetime for runners and spectators,” Olopade boasted.
