ACCESS BANK LAGOS CITY MARATHON: Nigeria athletes target 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 be 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 7th, December 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 heart-warming 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.

As it is the case across the world, Walk Race athletes use marathon races to build themselves for their primary events and for Adeyemi a rare full Marathon race will sure do him a lot of good as he targets to compete in an Olympic qualifier in Kenya by March 2016.

“The target I set for myself is to make it to the Olympics next year and this Access Bank Lagos City Marathon should help me in a way”  Adeyemi who competed at the All African Games  in 2003 and 2007 noted.

Currently with a personal best time cum National Record of 1.34.02secs, Adeyemi said lowering his time to 1.24.00sec which is the entry standard for the Olympics is not an impossible mission especially with the right kind of exposure.

“The key to improved performances is constant exposure to competitions; I don’t have such opportunity because here in Nigeria the concentration is on the sprints, I hope the likes of Access Bank will help switch the focus” He said.