Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Athletes from Plateau State on Saturday stamped their authority on the Ikogosi Marathon 2026 17.5km Race, rising because the dominant drive in the elite class because the competitors continued its regular march in direction of worldwide recognition.
The Plateau contingent produced a exceptional one-two end, with Gyang James crossing the end line first in 57 minutes, whereas his brother, Francis James, adopted carefully in 58 minutes to say the second place. Rochas Sunday accomplished the rostrum after ending third in 59 minutes.
The marathon, which started in Ilawe-Ekiti and ended on the iconic Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort in Ikogosi-Ekiti, attracted elite athletes from throughout Nigeria and international members from Kenya and Ethiopia, with runners drawn from 28 states of the federation.
The occasion was attended by distinguished dignitaries, together with former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni; former presidential aide, Senator Babafemi Ojudu; Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye; Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Dr Abisoye Fagade; Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon, amongst others.
Beyond the competitors, the 2026 version of the Ikogosi Marathon mirrored the rising ambition of the organisers to rework the race right into a globally recognised sporting platform able to selling athletics, tourism and youth improvement in Ekiti State.
In the feminine elite class, Teyei Davou emerged winner, adopted by Tanko Nvou in second place and Vivian Obadiah in third.
For the indigenous feminine class, Arinde Miracle, Bako Gift and Ademisoye Adesewa took the primary, second and third positions respectively, whereas Adeyemi Tunde, Adetiba Abiodun and Sunday Emmanuel emerged the highest three finishers in the indigenous male class.
Speaking on the importance of the occasion, the Convener of the Ikogosi Marathon Initiative, Makinde Araoye, mentioned the fourth version marked a significant milestone, recording about 14,000 registrations and attracting participation past Nigeria.
Araoye mentioned the marathon was established not solely as a sporting competitors but additionally as a car for tourism promotion, financial improvement and expertise discovery.
He disclosed that the initiative had recognized 10 promising indigenous athletes from Ekiti State who would obtain monetary rewards and additional help aimed toward making ready them for worldwide competitions.
According to him, the elite class winners obtained N5 million, N4 million and N2.5 million for first, second and third positions respectively, whereas the indigenous class was created to encourage and nurture home-grown abilities.
Araoye, nonetheless, referred to as for larger help from company organisations working in the state, urging them to embrace the competitors as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
He expressed optimism that the 2027 version could be upgraded right into a full worldwide marathon, attracting extra international athletes and creating larger alternatives for Nigerian long-distance runners.
“Our vision is to position Ikogosi Marathon as an international event that will expose Nigerian athletes to global competition. We want to create a platform where talents discovered here can compete and succeed internationally,” he mentioned.
Also talking, Sunday Asefon described the marathon as a strategic platform for youth empowerment, expertise discovery and nationwide unity.
Asefon urged the Ekiti State Government and related stakeholders to speculate in the indigenous athletes found by the competitors, noting that sustained help may assist them turn out to be internationally aggressive.
For the champion, Gyang James, the victory was a reward for willpower and improved preparation after he completed fourth in the earlier version.
James mentioned his earlier disappointment motivated him to accentuate coaching, including that the Ikogosi Marathon had turn out to be an vital avenue for Nigerian athletes to pursue their goals and achieve publicity.
