Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: Nigeria athletes eye national record, Olympic qualification

Nigerian athletes participating in the February 6, 2016 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon are not just looking at the prize money, but they are aiming at new national record and qualification for Rio 2016 Olympics Games.

One of them is Jos-born long distance runner, Emmanuel Gyang who has stated that he will gunning for another national record.

A star-cast of athlete across the world is expected to grace the maiden Lagos City Marathon and for Gyan; running alongside the big guns from Kenya, Ethiopia and other parts of the world should help him lower the 42km National record which currently stands at 2:16:06secs set by Mohammed Abass for almost three decades.

“I have already started my training and by God’s grace I want to set a new record in my first big outing in a full marathon,” Gyan declared from his base in Jos, Plateau state.

Gyan who on, December 7, 2013 set a new national record of 1:04:18secs in the 21km at the Nanning International race in China says Lagos has always been a good hunting ground for him and he hopes it will be same when he lines out to compete in the much-anticipated February 6 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

“I have always done well when I come to Lagos to run; actually I was the back-to-back champion at the Lagos Beach Marathon (a 10km-race)” Gyan boasted.

Gyan who also emerged as the top Nigerian at the last edition of the annual 10-kilometre Okpekpe race also said it is heartwarming that Nigeria through Lagos State and Access Bank is finally situating itself properly on the world marathon map.

Already, organisers have announced that the winners of both the men and women’s events at the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will go home with $50,000 each, while second and third place finishers will take $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.

The top 20 Nigerians will also be rewarded with cash prizes starting from N1 million, while the second and third positions will settle for N750, 000 and N500, 000 respectively.

Also, the national record holder in 20 km Walk Race, Adeyemi Kazeem may boost his chances of making the Rio 2016 Olympics qualification standard. He targets to compete in an Olympic qualifier in Kenya by March 2016.