Okpekpe Road Race Hold April 13

All arrangements have been concluded for the maiden edition of Okpekpe Road Race, scheduled to hold in the sleepy town of Okpekpe in Edo State on April 13, 2013. First of its kind in Nigeria, Okpekpe Road Race is a long distance race of 10 kilometers over hills and sandy path, which is will be flagged off by an official of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) and which will attract over 3,000 local and international road runners.
According to Mike Itemuagbor, CEO of Pamodzi Nigeria Limited, promoters of the race, Okpekpe Road Race is of highest international standard with route measured and certified by the IAAF measurer. He maintained that the race is sanctioned by the IAAF, the African Athletics Confederations (AAC) and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), who is the organizer and also has the backing of the Edo State Government as a major partner.
Itemuagbor said the race, which would become an annual event, is aimed at creating a platform for youth engagement where hidden talents could be discovered and also unlocking the tourism potentials of the community. He explained that “prize money of over N2.5m, the highest prize money for 10 kilometers race in Nigeria, will be awarded to winners in the different categories. The categories include Male and Female categories, as well as Indigenes of Edo Male and Female categories.”
Itemuagbor assured that everything needed to make the first edition of the race successful is in place as the Main Organizing Committee had been working round the clock for months to ensure a hitch free event.
“We are looking forward to hosting an interesting race, with a good turn-out of participants for this first edition,” he said.
The race route, according to the organizers, will wind around the hills of Okpekpe, a 25km town from Auchi, famous for its mountainous landscape.