Former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Dan Ngerem has been appointed the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Okpekpe 10 km Road race slated for May I6 in Okpekpe, Edo State.
The decision to make him the organising committee chairman was informed by his pedigree when he was the AFN boss and the relationship with the top hierarchy at IAAF and it is expected that his appointment would boost the rising profile of the race.
Okpekpe now a label race, Ngerem is expected to apply the rules to the letter without fear or favour.
Meanwhile, former Nigeria long jump champion and reigning record holder, Yusuf Ali has revealed a world class cast of elite athletes for next month’s 3rd Okpekpe 10km road race in Okpekpe, Auchi, Edo state.
Ali says they (organizers of the race) have been able to get athletes who have been in top form since the start of the year and believes a new course record will likely be witnessed come May 16 when the event holds in Okpekpe.
‘I am thrilled that we have been able to secure two of the fastest three men in the world over 10km this year. We have Amos Kiplimo Mitel of Kenya who ran a new personal best of 27.58 minutes early this month in Paderborn, Germany. That is the second fastest time in the world so far this year. He is only bettered by Germany’s Homiyu Tesfaye who ran four seconds faster (27:54) to win the race in Paderborn,’said a delighted Ali who also revealed the capture,as it were of Dawi Fikadu of Ethiopia.
‘Fikadu holds the third fastest time in the world so far this year at 28.04 minutes and both times (Mitel and Fikadu’s) are better than the 28.26 minutes Okpekpe course record set last year by Ethiopia’s Teshome Asafan,’he said and revealed why organizers of the event have to get the best legs to compete in the race.
‘Like you know,the Okpekpe 10km road race is an IAAF Bronze Label race which must have an international elite field,’he said adding that the IAAF requires a minimum of five men and five women participating in the competition.
‘Since our own is a bronze label race, the minimum number of nationalities participating is four.’ Ali, he also revealed that the Okpekpe 10km course which starts from Apama Road and ends in Okpekpe will be closed to vehicular traffic with the exclusion of official vehicles, for the duration of the event until the published cut-off time.
‘The Start will be traffic free until the last runner has started and the Finish will be traffic free until the last runner finishes or the cut-off time is reached,’he said and assured that all the IAAF rules guiding the organisation of the race will be strictly adhered to.
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