One of Nigeria’s most respected distance running coaches, Stephen Nuhu, has said that the world-acclaimed and World Athletics Gold Label Okpekpe international 10km Road Race has been a blessing to Nigeria.
Nuhu also congratulated organisers of the race on the 10th anniversary of the historic event which he says has ‘put Nigeria on the map of the world as a destination for sports’.
“I want to congratulate the organisers of the race for consistently organizing a world-class event every year. It is a testament to the organizational ability of Nigerians and I am happy World Athletics acknowledged this with the label status granted the race in 2015 and its subsequent upgrade from silver to gold,’ said Nuhu.
The Plateau state-born coach who is known for producing most of today’s elite long-distance runners in Nigeria says the Okpekpe race is the only international road race in Nigeria that does not discriminate between Nigerian elite runners and their foreign counterparts.
“It is only Okpekpe race that has provided transport subsidy and accommodation for our elite athletes the same way they did for foreign elite athletes.
“Whenever we come to Okpekpe, we don’t worry about where to sleep and that has helped the athletes to focus on the race.
“It has also helped the athletes to mingle with their foreign-based counterparts and has provided the platform for the exchange of ideas including training methods and other opportunities,” he remarked.
Nuhu is particularly grateful to Mike Itemuagbor, the race promoter/organizer for always insisting that Nigerian elite distance runners deserve to be treated equally like those from abroad.
