BY OSABUOHIEN VIVIAN ROSE
A 14-year-old Elizabeth Olumide Saturday won the female race of the 4th edition of the annual 10km Owan marathon race with a time of one hour and 24 minutes ahead of Ruth Abu and Precious Orogun.
The race, which happens to be her first, was held at Sabongida-Ora in Owan West local government area and organized by a United States of America (USA) based Christopher Ojo.
Abu and Orogun from Edo and Delta states finished in a time of one hour 27 minutes and one hour 37 minutes to clinch the second and third positions respectively.
Similarly, 16-year-old Delta state-born Embah Godspower emerged as the winner of the male category with a finishing time of one hour.
He was followed closely by Paul Osadebame and Aliu Mirror who both ran a time of one hour two seconds and one hour 57 seconds respectively.
Olumide said she hopes to secure a scholarship to study nursing abroad. The male winner, Godspower said he was not surprised with his victory as he had trained hard for the race.
He said his ambition is to represent his state and Nigeria in both national and international engagements.
Athletics coach Oluyemi Ayopo lauded Ojo for his dedication to uplifting young athletes, saying that the marathon has produced talents who have represented Edo State at national events. Ayopo highlighted that past editions of the race have led to significant opportunities for participants, including scholarships and entry into major competitions such as the Access Marathon in Lagos.
One notable success story is an athlete from the second edition who is now on a scholarship in the United States.
Secretary of the Nigeria Association of Athletes Technical Officials, Lucky Ehigiator, urged the race organizers to register the event internationally to gain global recognition. He also praised Ojo for raising the standard of the competition in its fourth edition.
The game’s sponsor, Ojo, pledged his commitment to helping the athletes discovered through the marathon, promising to expose winners to competitive platforms for further development. “I envision these young stars competing on national and international stages, including the Olympics,” he said.
