Seven days before the starting gun of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Lagos is beginning to move a little differently. The city’s famous hustle and bustle is giving way, briefly, to something more deliberate, early morning jogs along familiar roads, volunteers checking routes, and athletes adjusting their final routines in silence.
For many of the runners, this final week is less about speed and more about patience. Muscles are rested, mileage reduced, and minds sharpened. The hard work has already been done. What remains is trust in the body, in the course, and in the moment when preparation meets the streets.
Over the years, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon has grown into more than a race. It has become a shared ritual, drawing elite athletes, weekend runners, medical teams, officials and spectators into one moving line across the city. From its early editions to its current status as a Platinum Label event, the marathon has steadily reshaped how road running is viewed in Nigeria and across Africa.
In this final stretch, the impact of the race is felt far beyond competition. Hotels fill, small businesses prepare for an influx of visitors, and young runners watch closely, imagining themselves on the starting line in years to come. For Lagos, the marathon is not just a sporting event, it is a moment of collective pause and pride.
As the countdown continues, the city readies itself once again to welcome the world. In seven days, thousands will run. Millions will watch. And Lagos will tell its marathon story, one steady step at a time.
