The High Altitude Athletics Club of Jos, one of Nigeria’s premier athletic clubs, has announced its intention to send 25 elite athletes to the upcoming 2023 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon.
“The ECOWAS race is an excellent platform for our athletes to showcase their talent,” remarked Steve Nuhu, the club’s coordinator and a mentor to numerous long-distance runners in Nigeria.
Nuhu expressed confidence in his team’s ability to sweep the podium, particularly in the women’s category.
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“Our athletes have been training diligently and are determined to achieve this goal,” he stated.
The ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon, scheduled for December 16, 2023, features two categories: a half marathon and a 5km fun run.
The half-marathon winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, while the second and third-place finishers will earn $5,000 and $4,000, respectively.
The top ten finishers will receive generous prize money, with the fourth place receiving $3,500, fifth place $3,000, sixth place $2,500, seventh place $2,000, eighth place $1,500, ninth place $1,200, and tenth place $1,000.
The winners of the 5km family and fun run will receive $750, the second-place finishers $500, the third-place finishers $400, and the fifth-place finishers $200.
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“We at the High Altitude Athletics Club are thrilled about the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon,” Nuhu added.
“This provides another international stage for our athletes. We have already registered 25 elite athletes, and many fun runners are joining us from Jos.”
While expressing gratitude to ECOWAS for providing opportunities for runners not only in Nigeria but across the sub-region, Nuhu made a particular appeal to Northern Governors to invest in marathon races.
“We applaud ECOWAS’ efforts to promote marathon races in the sub-region. Our appeal goes out to governors, particularly in Northern Nigeria, to take up this responsibility and help our country realize its immense potential in long-distance running. With the right investment in our Northern talents, we can soon compete with Kenyans, Ethiopians, and others,” Nuhu concluded.
