The Chairman of the Organizing Committee of Lagos Media Marathon Tony Ubani at the weekend has said that Nigeria will be first country in Africa to organise a media marathon and the fifth in the world after Japan, Spain, Australia and Brazil if corporate and well-meaning Nigerians support the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ) to make the marathon a reality in May 2019.
Ubani, therefore, urged the private, public sector to assist the Nigerian media to achieve an African first and a global fifth by supporting the Lagos Media Marathon financially and otherwise.
Said Ubani: “We contacted the IAAF Road Races Department and they made us understand that Nigeria media organising a road race is great development and that ours will be the first in Africa. We also know that in Japan some of the most traditional and largest races are organised by media, same in Australia and Spain. One of the best examples comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil where one of the world’s largest and oldest road races is organised by a daily newspaper.”
Ubani revealed that the race in Brazil was started by Cásper Líbero in December 31, 1925 and has not been interrupted or suspended even once during its history, not even for the duration of World War II.
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee appeals to Corporate Nigeria and well-meaning citizens to support, the Media Marathon.
“Our race though a media race is open to everybody resident in Nigeria and other parts of the world. Our route is through the most beautiful parts of Lagos. Runners will start at the Admiralty Way in Lekki and end Onikan in Lagos Island.’’
Ubani also clarified that only journalists who are members of NUJ and its affiliates and mass communication and journalism students of tertiary institutions are exempted from paying the mandatory registration fee of N3, 000.
“I, therefore, appeal to all journalists who intend to participate in the Media Marathon who are not card-carrying members of NUJ and its affiliate to regularize their membership before the race in May,” said Ubani.
