In what points to a departure from East African domination of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race in Benin City, this year’s edition saw a Bahraini, Fikadu Dawit, winning the male category with a time of 29.03 minutes.
Dawit beat two East Africans, Barechanu Tsegu and John Lotiang, of Ethiopia and Kenya who finished in a time of 29:04 and 29:17 minutes respectively.
However, the East Africans completed a clean sweep of the female category.
Sheila Chalangat from Kenya took the first position with a time of 33:14 minutes, while Tuitoak Jepchirchir also of Kenya and Kasegn Asefa of Ethiopia, returned with a time of 33:18 and 33:31 to emerge second and third respectively.
Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, and Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie, ran alongside other government officials as well as other stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress in the state in the VIP category.
The VIP race also had as participants, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung; Managing Director, THISDAY, Mr. Eniola Bello; Chairman, Wells Charlton Hotel and Apartments, Abuja, Capt. Hosa Okunbo, among others.
While the first VP race that included the deputy governor took off at 8:45, that of the APC race, with the party’s national chairman Adams Oshiomhole participating, took off at 9:30.
Delivering an address, Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, thanked the current governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and the organisers of the Okpekpe 10 km road race for sustaining a tradition that has lasted seven years.
