The beauty of the Access Bank Lagos city marathon

The race has also stimulated businesses, especially in the hospitality sector, and put Nigeria on the global sporting and tourism calendar

For consistently sponsoring the Lagos city marathon since 2016, Access Bank has created a platform that promotes healthy lifestyle, entertainment and sports, especially athletics. The race has also stimulated businesses, especially in the hospitality sector and put the event, and indeed, Nigeria, in the global sporting and tourism calendar.

Additionally, the marathon has helped different communities around the world to understand our culture, history, and the enterprising spirit that drives the city of Lagos. This Marathon has provided a platform for thousands of young athletes who are eager to dominate the world using their incredible talents.

From the Lagos marathon, many Nigerian and international participating athletes have gone on to excel beyond the shores of the continent.

With more than 120,000 participants and millions of observers spread across the world, the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon embodies the values of the bank and Lagos State – values built around resilience, continuity, and pushing the boundaries of the perceived impossible. It has, indeed, become a major item in the nation’s tourism and sport calendar, with enormous benefits to the local economy.

Thousands of skilled and unskilled workers are employed in the organization of the marathon every year. By 2028, it is estimated that Nigeria will earn N12 billion ($33 million) from its tourism sector, and ultimately, it is expected that this sector will have the capacity to create over 50 million jobs.

In the current move to fully diversify the local economy, initiatives like this marathon are already proving essential in driving this change, with the sector contributing about five percent to the nation’s GDP annually. We should give kudos to Access Bank for bringing the marathon to the city of Lagos, just as we have similar marathons in almost all the major cities of the world.

Who hasn’t heard of the London Marathon, Paris Marathon, New York Marathon, Boston Marathon, Cape Town marathon, etc? It is a wonder that Lagos, one of the biggest metropolitan cities in the world, did not have a marathon until 2016 when Access Bank partnered with the State government to bring this race.

I participated in the 2022 marathon last Saturday as one of the few invited and accredited journalists. It turned out to be bigger and more competitive than the previous editions. Hundreds of runners competed, most of whom were Nigerians.

But 90 foreigners took part, indicating a steady growth of the race over the years. But it was the East Africans who carried the day. An Ethiopian, Daresa Ulfata won the 42-kilometer men’s marathon with a time of 2:11:54.

He took the first prize of $30,000. A Kenyan, David Bamasai returned the time of 2:13:33 to emerge second and won the $20,000 prize money. Another Kenyan, Emmanuel Nabei, took third position with 2:14:37. he took the $15,000 prize.

In the female 42-km race, Dagne Siranesh won the first prize with 2:33:54 and the $30,000 cash prize. Alemensh Herpha Guta of Ethiopia (who was the winner in 2018) came second with 2:35:34 while a Kenyan, Naomi Maiyo came third with 2:35:44. The dominance of East Africans in long-distance races is legendary and has baffled scientists for ages.

Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the Access Bank Lagos City marathon has evolved, demonstrating resilience and the organizer’s capacity to stage a competition that measures up to global standards.