With 30 days to go before the World Athletics Gold Label Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, organizers have appointed Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole and Yasser Ahmed as ambassadors for the event, underscoring its growing global stature.
Pamodzi Sports Marketing, promoter and organizer of the race, said the appointments reflect the men’s contributions to the credibility and success of the competition, which has become one of Africa’s premier road races.
Mike Itemuagbor, CEO of Pamodzi and race promoter, explained: ‘Ambassadors are chosen not just for their public stature but for their direct impact on the growth, sustainability, and international recognition of the Okpekpe race. Senator Oshiomhole and Mr. Ahmed, CEO of Premier Sports Timing embody those qualities, one through infrastructural vision, the other through technical excellence.’
Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and now a senator, is credited with enabling the race by building the road that gave birth to the event in 2013. Ahmed, CEO of Premier Sports Timing, has overseen precision timing since inception, ensuring fairness and international recognition of performances.
The race, scheduled for May 23 in Okpekpe town, Edo State, is one of just 40 Gold Label road races approved by World Athletics for 2026, and one of only three on the African continent. It holds the distinction of being the first in West Africa to earn Label status.
Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo holds the men’s course record of 28:28, while Kenya-born Kazakhstani Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui set the women’s mark of 32:38 in 2023.
Beyond athletics, the Okpekpe race has transformed the rustic town into a global destination, showcasing the cultural and economic vibrancy of Edo North Senatorial District.
Each edition turns Okpekpe into a hub of commerce and tourism, offering visitors both elite competition and the hospitality of the local community.
Oshiomhole described the race as unparalleled: ‘It is the best road race in the world… there is no part of the world that has that kind of beautiful terrain, beautiful hills and valleys, and it’s greens all over the place, and an innocent community with no pollution, clean air. If you want people with African and traditional village hospitality, the natives are the best.’
Experts say the hilly terrain and clean air provide athletes with rare physiological and psychological advantages, enhancing cardiovascular conditioning, lung efficiency, and recovery.
With ambassadors embodying infrastructural vision and technical excellence, and with records and tourism potential firmly in view, the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race continues to strengthen its global standing as Nigeria’s flagship road running event.
