James ran 30:46 last Saturday to win his first Okpekpe race men’s title after finishing ninth last year (32:24).

The 17 year old has now ran inside 31 minutes for the second time this year after running 30:47 to win the 10km race of the Lagos international marathon in February.

Zak Amodu, Okpekpe road race director believes Nigerian elite runners will soon break into the international elite level and eligible to compete worldwide.

“One of the major reasons for starting the Okpekpe road race is to help develop road running culture in Nigeria and help our athletes to gain international recognition and eligibility.

“This would be the first time a Nigerian man would run a sub-31 minutes in such a difficult terrain as the Okpekpe race and we may soon witness a Nigerian officially breaking the 30 minutes barrier,” said Amodu.

James’ time is the fastest by a Nigerian over the 10km distance so far this year and the second fastest since Ismail Sadjo ran 30:23 in Lagos in 2022.

Two Nigerians have now raced inside 31 minutes this year (James Gang ran 30:51 in Lagos in February) and Stephen Nuhu, coach of many of the distance runners in Nigeria believes the athletes have finally come of age while praising organizers of the Okpekpe race for always priortising the welfare of Nigerian elite athletes.

“I am delighted the improvement we have been waiting for is finally manifesting and I am confident we will soon have our athletes running under 30 minutes and qualify to run as international elite athletes,” said Nuhu.

The Jos, Plateau state based coach says the country is blessed with so much talent and wants the Federal Government to come to their aid by establishing a high performance centre at the Mambilla Plateau.

“Look at Kenya today, athletics has not only become a sport for podium finishes at international competitions/championships and games but also a veritable source of employment which contributes greatly to their gross domestic product. This can be replicated in Nigeria and it can also be a great vehicle to fight banditry and terrorism,” added Nuhu.

The Kenyan, who came into the 10th edition of the race as the favourite to not only win but also attempt to break the course record after running 27:49 in January in Ibiza, Spain could only run 29:31 to claim the title.

Pingua revealed he was not pushed hard enough by his opponents, especially the Ethiopian, Haftamu Gebresilase, the only other athlete to have broken 28 minutes over the 10km road distance before the race.

‘I was not pushed hard by those I competed against. The course is also very hard, especially towards the end,’ said the Kenyan who, at the halfway mark was on course to break the record after crossing with 14:10 with an average pace of 02:50 min/km.

He ran the last five kilometres with an average pace of 03:04 min/km and ended the race with 29:31 ahead of his countrymen,
Isaac Kimpemboi (29:36) and Alex Oloitiptip Kori (29:50).

Pingua has however vowed to come back next year to erase Ebenyo’s name as the Okpekpe international 10km road race course record holder.

‘I will come back next year to claim the course record,’ he promised and revealed his readiness to battle Ebenyo for both the title and the course record in 2025.
Asked if he was not scared Ebenyo might return next year to reclaim the title he was forced to relinquish without a fight, Pingua said he was ready.

‘I am ready to fight for the title with Daniel (Ebenyo). I am not afraid of him,’ he said when also reminded that Ebenyo is ranked world number one in the event this year.

Meanwhile, Gladys Kwamboka who ran 33:05 to win the women’s title says the tortuous nature of the Okpekpe race course made it impossible to run faster than she did.

The Kenyan came to Okpekpe brandishing a brand new 31.54 lifetime best she ran just last month and was tipped to move close to or break Caroline Kipriuki’s 32.38 course record but she failed to fulfil expectations despite running 15:36 at the halfway mark.

‘The course is one of the hardest in the world,’ she said.

Her compatriots, Regina Wambui (33:38) and Sheila Cherotich (34:27) came in second and third respectively with Nigeria’s Patience Dalyop Mwanvwang coming in fourth to successfully defend her title as the first Nigerian to cross the finish line.

Mwanvwang came into the race with a 34:34 lifetime best set in Lagos in February and looks to be on the way to running inside 35 minutes again at the halfway mark (17:26) with a 03:29 min/km pace but faded out in the second five kilometres before crossing the finishing line in 37:07.

Despite inability of the winner of the men’s race, Pingua Zakayo Edwards to match the course record of 28mins 28second set last year by his compatriot Daniel Ebenyo, the champion was still able to create excitement amongst the fans that trooped out to watch the race with his 29mins 31secs.

For his efforts, Edwards was rewarded with the top price money of $15,000.

He was followed to the finish line by another Kenyan Isaac Kimpemboi (29:36) who got $8,000 while bronze medal winner, Alex Oloitiptip Koria (29:37), got $5,000 for his efforts.

In the women’s category, it was another Kenyan Top Three affair as the trio of Gladys Kwanbuka (33:05), Regina Wanbui (33:38) and Sheila Cherotick (34:27) raced to the same prize money as their male counterparts.

In the Nigerian category, last year’s winner, Israel Sadjo was upstaged by Francis James Musa who won in 30.46 minutes and won half a million Naira price money at stake.

It was however jackpot for the Nigerian ladies as Patience Daylop Mwavwang who who successfully defended her title in 37.07 minutes places overall fifth to also have a share in the top prizes to be paid in dollars. She is to get $2,000 in addition to the N500,000 at stake for the top Nigerian winner.

Yilmunen Nicholas Gokun placed second in 37.23 minutes while Blessing Shambo Solomon was third in 37.28 minutes.

Speaking at the end of the race, former Governor Adams Oshiomhole who has competed in all the VIP races from inception in 2013 to date, praised organisers of the event, Pamodzi Sports Marketing Limited for keeping faith with the race.

“I really want to thank our brother and son, Mike Itemuagbor for keeping faith with the Okpekpe 10km International Road Race. I was there as Governor of the State and participated in the race when it started. I am also glad that I am here as Senator of Edo North and still strong to participate in this 10th edition,” began Senator Oshiomhole.

He expressed happiness that the Okpekpe Road Race has opened up the community to the world, thereby helping to increase the economy of the people.

In the men, Kenyan Pingua Zak ayo Edward returned a time of 29.31 minutes to win the top price of $15,000, while his compatriot, Isaac Kimpemboi placed second in 29.36 minutes and won $8,000. Alex Olotiptip placed third in 29.37 minutes to cart home $5,000.

The women event was dominated by the Kenyans. Gladys Kwanbuka blaize the trail in 33.05 minutes with Regina Wambui second in 33.38 minutes, while Sheila Cherotick placed third in 34.27 minutes.

The women won the same price money as their male counterparts.

In the Nigerian category, Francis James Musa won in 30.46 minutes and won half a million Naira as price money with Israel Sadjo, the defending champion, placing second in 31.51 minutes and won N300,000. Dung Elijah Emmanuel was third in 32.20 minutes to cart home N200,000.

The Nigerian women were led by Patience Daylop Mwavwang, who successfully defended her title in 37.07 minutes. Yilmunen Nicholas Gokun placed second in 37.23 minutes while Blessing Shambo Solomon placed third in 37.28 minutes.

Sadjo ran 31:53 to win the event last year but will need to be at his very best and prepare to break 31 minutes for the first time in his career to ward off the challenge that will be posed by Francis James who ran 30:47 to win the 10km race at the Lagos Access Bank Marathon in Lagos in February.

Gang James Boyi (30:51) who also ran inside 31 minutes in Lagos will also be in Okpekpe to challenge for the title.
Sadjo’s best in Okpekpe was the 31.06 he ran to win at the inaugural edition of the race in 2013 (before the label status) and a repeat performance could earn him the title for the second straight year.

For the women, David Abiye will challenge Mwavwang for the title but the defending champion will hope to get the better of her in-form challenger just like she did in Lagos last February in the 10km race at the Lagos Access Bank Marathon.

Mwavwang ran a new 34:43 lifetime best (probably a new Nigeria record) in the race and will hope to become the first Nigerian woman to break 34 minutes over the 10km when she runs in Okpekpe.

Multiple winner, Deborah Pam, will not be available this year as she has taken a leave off the road for procreation.

Stephen Nuhu, a long distance running coach who will accompany the athletes to Okpekpe is confident Nigerian athletes can get over the 30 minutes line and become internationally recognised very soon.

“The athletes have been training very well and I am confident they will soon become recognised as international elite athletes very soon which will make them available for other label road races around the world,” Nuhu said and praised the organisers of the Okpekpe Road Race for always having the welfare of the Nigerian elite athletes among their top priorities.

“Okpekpe race organisers offer our athletes accommodation and transport subsidy, something we don’t get in some of the other races in Nigeria except the 10km road race we ran in Ilesha about two years or so ago,” he revealed.

There will be over a N100m on offer as prize money at the race for the top five finishers in each gender category for the international elite field as well as for the Nigerian elite runners who will battle for the prize money.

Winners in each gender category will go home with $15,000 while second and third place finishers will be rewarded with $8,000 and $5,000 respectively, with fourth and fifth going home with $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.

For the Nigerian elite athletes, a top prize of N500,000 will go to the winners of each gender category. Second to fifth place will be rewarded with N300,000, N200,000, N120,000 and N80,000 respectively.

Okpekpe Road Race, run over hills and tarred roads, starting from Apana Road and ending in Okpekpe town is the first road race in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics certified course measurer and the first to be granted a label status (bronze in 2015) by World Athletics.

This means Okpekpe road race is the first internationally recognised road running event in West Africa. It was upgraded to a silver level label status in 2018 before it moved to gold in 2023. It is thus the first gold label 10km race ever run on Nigerian soil.

The top five finishers in each gender category for the international elite field as well as for the Nigerian elite runners will battle for the prize money.
Winners in each gender category will go home with $15,000 while second and third-place finishers will be rewarded with $8,000 and $5,000 with fourth and fifth going home with $3,000 and $2,000 respectively.

For the Nigerian elite athletes, a top prize of N500,000 will go to the winners of each gender category. Second to fifth place will be rewarded with N300,000, N200,000, N120,000 and N80, 000 respectively.

Athletes who set an African/World record will be eligible for a special award of US$5,000 and US$2,000 for the Okpekpe race course record setter.
The performance must be an improvement on the existing African/World and Okpekpe Course record in 10km. Performances that equal the existing African/World and Course record will not be eligible for the bonus award.

The Okpekpe race 10km course record stands at 28 minutes and 28 seconds (28:28) for men set last year by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and 32 minutes, 41 seconds (32.41) set in 2014 by Ethiopia’s Wude Ayalew.

The African record for men which is also the world record is 26 minutes, 33 seconds (26:33) set by Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto in 2020 while another Kenyan, Agnes Jebet Ngetich holds the African World record for women at 28 minutes, 46 seconds (28:46) set in January 2024 in Valencia, Spain.

Meanwhile, Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organizer of the historic race says they are ready to organize an Okpekpe road race that befits its Gold Label status.
A World Athletics Label denotes high standards in event organisation, application of the World Athletics Rules and Regulations and in particular the Competition and Technical Rules among other requirements.

Race director, Zakari Amodu, promised that the event would live up to its billing as one of the prestigious road races in the world.

Amodu said, ‘Everything is set for a good race on Saturday. We have covered all grounds necessary for a good race. We have all the materials we wanted for effective doping control including a doping station at the finish area in Okpekpe.

‘What we are waiting for is just for the race day to be here so that we can put into practice all we have been doing in terms of keeping to the requirements,’ said Amodu.

Pamodzi Sports Marketing, the event’s organisers, say the design of the medals was driven by a focus on uniqueness and originality to go with the race’s status as the first road running event in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics certified course measurer and the first in West Africa to be granted a label status.

Zack Amodu, the race director reveals the reason behind the unveiling of commemorative medals for the race.

“This is a celebration of organising a world-class race for 10 years devoid of controversies and that has always received commendations from World Athletics in terms of upgrading of the race from the bronze label we started with in 2015 to silver in 2018 and gold in 2023, a year after the race returned from a two-year Covid-induced absence on World Athletics road race calendar,” said Amodu.

“We are proud to set the pace for others to come and become world class like us not only in Nigeria but the entire west African region. We have unveiled a commemorative medal just for this race as it carries not just the logo of the race with the green colour of Nigeria running across its face but it was also designed around the figure 10 which easily shows it’s a celebration of 10 years of an historic event.”

Continuing, Amodu says it is imperative the medals connect sports, heroism and national identity and that they are all crafted from a unique brass alloy with each medal plated in gold, silver or bronze.

“The medals will be handed out to those who finish within a specified time as well as the celebrities who will be at the race,” revealed Amodu who assures of another world-class event on Saturday in Okpekpe.

“We are crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. We are ready to deliver yet another spectacular race befitting of our status as the first gold label 10km road race in Nigeria. We are happy the attention of the whole watching-world will be on Okpekpe Race as the only world athletics label race to be run on that date all over the world,” said Amodu.

The 10th edition of the Gold Label Okpekpe international 10km Road Race will hold on Saturday, May 25, 2024 in Okpekpe town and it promises to show the world a true celebration of sport o a unique stage and welcomes everybody who wishes to witness a truly world class race run over hills and tarred road.

A statement by the media con­sultant to the company, said that the 10th edition of the Okpekpe International Road Race is sched­uled to take place on May 25, 2024 in Edo State.

This is the seventh consecu­tive year that DBN would be sup­porting the race in the country.

The statement hinted that the partnership underscored the bank’s commitment to advancing sports and promoting tourism de­velopment in Nigeria.

The Okpekpe International Road Race is an event that at­tracts athletes from around the world and recognised by the World Athletics Federation.

It also serves as a platform for showcasing talent and promoting physical fitness.

The 10-kilometer race, which is the first to be granted a gold label status in Nigeria, is set in the scenic hills of Okpekpe town near Auchi, highlighting the beauty of Edo State and its significant economic benefits to the local community.

Commenting on the bank’s support, Dr. Tony Okpanachi, Managing Director, DBN, said it was a honour to back the histor­ic Okpekpe International 10km Road Race for the seventh consec­utive year.

He maintained that DBN’s involvement in the event re­flected its broader mission to foster community engagement, promote health and wellness, and stimulate economic growth through sports.

“The Okpekpe Race is more than just a competition; it is a celebration of resilience, unity, and excellence.”

“I am very certain that DBN’s sponsorship will play a crucial role in ensuring the race’s suc­cess. Our support extends beyond financial contributions, it empha­sizes our strong dedication to cor­porate social responsibility and our commitment to the holistic development of Nigerian soci­ety,” he added.

He explained further that supporting the Okpekpe In­ternational Road Race aligned perfectly with DBN’s mission of driving sustainable development, empowering communities, and fostering economic growth.

He pointed that sports serve as a unifying force and a catalyst for economic and social develop­ment, that the company was proud to play a role in this transformative event.

Mr. Okpanachi further stated that since its inception, the Ok­pekpe International Road Race had grown in prestige, becoming a cornerstone of the global athlet­ics calendar.

He further urged Nigerians to participate in the race festiv­ities, support the athletes, and experience the rich culture and hospitality of Edo State.

The Kenyan is also lamenting his inability to be the first man to break 28 minutes at the race after setting a 28:28 course record in 2023.

The 28 year old won the men’s title last year and had promised to return this year to his second country, Nigeria but an injury he sustained in training means he will not be in Okpekpe to defend his title.

‘I had a dream to be the first man to defend my title and and run another course record but definitely I can’t again,’ wrote the Kenyan in a message to the Okpekpe race media.

Ebenyo, like the good sportsman that he is, is wishing the athletes who will compete for honours this year all the best.

‘ I am hereby wishing all the runners all the best and may the best athlete win,’ said the — Kenyan to win the men’s title at the race.

Ebenyo also has nice words for the organizers of the world class, gold label 10km road race.

‘Okpekpe is always a bridge and a mother to all races in Africa. God bless Okpekpe and God bless the organizer of the race. See you next year,’ wrote Ebenyo who made the podium at both the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and World Athletics Road Running championships in Riga after emerging Okpekpe race champion last year.

This year’s race is the 10th in the series and organisers have assured of another world class event come May 25 in Okpekpe in Edo state of Nigeria.

The race is the first road race in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics’ certified measurer and the first be in West Africa to be granted label status to depicts its world class status

The top winners at the Okpekpe race, men and women, can make a total of $22,000 each if they break the official course and African (World) records (subject to ratification under World Athletics rules). This will be made up of the prize money of $15,000 and $2,000 for breaking the course record and $5,000 for breaking the African/World record.

The Okpekpe race 10km course record stands at 28 minutes and 28 seconds (28:28) for men set last year by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo and 32 minutes, 41 seconds (32.41) set in 2014 by Ethiopia’s Wude Ayalew.

The African record for men which is also the world record is 26 minutes, 33 seconds (26:33) set by Kenya’s Rhonex Kipruto in 2020 while another Kenyan, Agnes Jebet Ngetich holds the African nay World record for women at 28 minutes, 46 seconds (28:46) set in January 2024 in Valencia, Spain.

Zack Amodu, the Okpekpe international 10km road race director reveals why the performance bonus has been introduced to this year’s race.

‘This year, we have the $2,000 and $5,000 performance bonus to be earned by any man or woman who breaks the course record and African/World record respectively. Last year, we saw how Daniel Ebenyo moved very close to running a sub-28 minutes on his way to setting the 28:28 course record.

“We are motivating the athletes to run a little faster with the introduction of the performance bonus as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the most prestigious and first World Athletics label road race in West Africa,” said Amodu who is optimistic new course records will be set in the men and women’s categories.

‘With the quality of athletes that we have signed on and those who have signified interest in the race, I am sure a new course record will be set.’

Amodu says this year’s edition will be used to celebrate Pamodzi Sports Marketing’s 10 years of organising an event that World Athletics, the world governing body for the sport of athletics has recognised as a truly world class race and which it did not hesitate to classify as such with the award of a bronze label status in 2015.

‘As a recognition of the technical and administrative capabilities officials of Pamodzi have been displaying, the race was upgraded to a silver label status in 2018 and gold in 2023. We have proved that Nigerians are capable of organizing world class events,’ said a delighted Amodu who has been at the heart of delivering a truly world class race.

The Okpekpe international 10km road race is an annual event held in Edo State, Nigeria. It’s a challenging 10km road race that takes place over hills and tarred roads, starting from Apana Road and ending in Okpekpe town.

The race has attracted participants from various countries, including Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Morocco, Israel, Bahrain, and Nigeria.