OKPEKPE ROAD RACE MOC BEGINS FINAL COUNTDOWN

…Storms Okpekpe for pre-race checks

The main organising committee for the 3rd Okpekpe 10km road race has begun the final countdown for the IAAF bronze label race scheduled to hold in Okpekpe near Auchi in Edo state on the 16th of next month.

Disclosing this to the media on Monday, former Nigeria track and field international and two time IAAF World championships long jump finalist (1983 & 1987) revealed that the MOC will converge on Benin on Friday before leaving for Okpekpe.

‘The final countdown is here and the MOC led by Dan Ngerem (former president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN) will meet in Benin on Friday before leaving for Okpekpe to physically inspect the race course as well as the security,accommodation and other arrangements that bother on the technical organisation of the race,’said Ali.

‘The MOC will also check on the media arrangements for the event.The race this year will be different from the first two editions because it is now an IAAF bronze label race. This means it is one of the less than 100 races the IAAF has designated as one of the leading road races around the world in 2015.

‘This is a great honour to Nigeria and the MOC is determined to ensure it is organised in strict adherence to IAAF rules.We have successfully completed the first hurdle which bothers on the invitation of athletes classified under the international elite field. The guidelines for this requires at least four nations to be represented by runners with times faster than the IAAF’s guidelines.

‘We have secured two of the three fastest runners in the world so far this year in Kenya’s Amos Kiplimo Mitei who holds the second fastest time (27:58) over the 10km distance so far this year and is one of only two athletes to have run inside 28 minutes this year as well as Ethiopia’s Dawi Fikadu whose 28.04 minutes return is the third fastest time this year,’said Ali,also a former technical committee chairman of the AFN.

Ali is confident of a successful organisation of this year’s race and the support received from the Edo state government as well as the the various sponsors have been the driving force behind the successes recorded so far.

‘We are indeed very grateful to his excellency, the executive governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for his solid support. His decision to participate in the first two editions of the race has added great value to the race,’he added and specially thanked Mike Itemuagbor,whose company, Pamodzi sports marketting owns the race for ensuring Okpekpe has not only become a household name in Nigeria and is now recognised on the map of the world but also made the whole world know that Nigeria is not only about the activities of Boko Haram.

Ngerem To Head Okpekpe Race Organising Committee

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.

Okpekpe Road Race Gets Ecobank As Official Banker

The Ecobank Rapid Transfer Service has been named the official money transfer service for the 3rd Okpekpe 10km road race scheduled for May 16th in Okpekpe town, in Edo State.

The Okpekpe Race, now an International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Bronze Label Race, will attract over 3000 local and international professional athletes. Also sports enthusiasts from across the world are being expected.

Announcing the bank’s partnership in Lagos, a statement quoted Ecobank’s Deputy Managing Director, Tony Okpanachi, to have said the Ecobank Rapid Transfer is best suited for the competition that has grown to have global recognition.

According to Mr. Okpanachi, the Ecobank Rapid Transfer is an innovative money transfer services available within Nigeria and countries in Africa where Ecobank is present.

He added: “The service was conceived out of the need to provide quick, convenient, accessible, and reliable money transfer services for customers and non-customers of the bank.”

Okpanachi was also optimistic that the money transfer platform would provide the much-needed ease of financial transactions during and after the competition, and urged all the participants to avail themselves of the opportunities provided by the bank.

In his words: “This is an Ecobank proprietary send and receive money transfer product available in all Ecobank branches in Nigeria. The product allows you to send and receive money where Ecobank has its footprint within Nigeria and in over 36 countries in Africa. It is our way of supporting this international race to ease the burden of fund transfer.”

The Rapid Transfer he reiterated is very suitable for sports men and women, schools/students, travellers, parents, foreign nationals residing in Nigeria.

OKPEKPE: NEW PRIZE MONEY FOR EDO INDIGENES

Organisers of the third Okpekpe 10km road race scheduled for next month in Okpekpe have announced a quantum increase in the prize money for the first nine Edo-state born finishers in the men and women race.

The respective male and female winners will go home with N500,000 each ,an increase of N400,000 while the first and second runners-up will get N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.

The ninth-placed runner will get N50,000 while the eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth and fourth-placed finishers will go home with N75,000, N100,000, N150,000 and N200,000 respectively.

Yusuf Ali, a member of the organising committee and former Africa, Commonwealth and World Universities Games long jump champion explained that the committee arrived at the decision to increase the prize money for the locals because of the need to encourage them and make them more competitive.

Okpekpe road, Edo State

‘The committee feels there is the need to make Edo-state indigenes up their game and make them more competitive. The new prize money structure will make them train more and, hopefully, we will get them to compete for the main prize of $25,000,’he said and expressed happiness that the male winner in that category in the past two editions,Lawrence Osheku has promised to improve on his performance.

‘You can seee that the guy who emerged the best Edo-state indigene in the last two editions, Lawrence (Osheku) is already talking about improving from a 34 minutes runner to 31 and this will be a significant improvement. I am sure if he is able to achieve this, he will be contesting for the top prize for Nigerian runners.We believe by next year he will be among the contestants for the $25,000 top prize,’said Ali who heaped plaudits on race owner, Mike Itemuagbor for approving the new prize money structure for Edo state indigenes.

‘He (Itemuagbor) is a blessing to the state and athletics in particular and Nigeria in general. If we have more people like him organising world class sporting events in Nigeria,the country would rank among the best in the world in any sport.

‘He has been the driving force behind the monumental success the race has achieved in the last two years culminating in the award of a bronze label status for the race,the first of such in West Africa,’remarked Ali.

The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing,a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and rights acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Edo state government.

The race is run over hills and sandy path and it starts in Apama road and ends in Okpekpe,a town in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. It is located about 25 km North East of Auchi.

Nigeria’s Olumudi Ready For Okpekpe

Nigeria rave of the moment in long distance race, Aderonke Olumudi, on Sunday in a telephone conversation with our correspondent confirmed her readiness to partake at the third edition of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race.
The Kogi-born athlete has been in a rich vein of form since moving to the United States of America, she recently won the 10km Women’s category of the third GE Irving Marathon race.

Olumudi, had earlier won women’s silver and bronze medals at the March 14 fifth Longview Marathon and the 21st March 13th Bearathon Marathon races both in US respectively.

“I am ready to race at the Okpekpe,” she said. “I was at the first edition of the competition, and I am ready to be the first Nigeria to win the race.

Aderonke Olumudi photo credit Aderonke Olumudi

“My target for now will be to perform well at the Lake Minneola Half Marathon billed for April 25, and hopefully take the form to Nigeria for the Okpekpe race.”

The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and Rights Acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the AFN and Edo state government.

The previous editions of the race were dominated by East Africans with Kenya’s with Nigeria athletes yet to finish top five of the race.

3000 RUNNERS FOR OKPEKPE RACE

Over 3000 runners are expected to participate in next month’s 3rd Okpekpe 10km road race scheduled to hold in Okpekpe, Auchi in Edo state, organisers of the race have confirmed.

‘We are expecting over three thousand runners for this year’s race which will hold on May 16,’reveals former Nigeria track and field international, Yusuf Ali who added that interest in the race from various managers across the world have been both encouraging and overwhelming.

‘The runners are expected to submit their registration forms with medical certificate of fitness and they are expected to sign a waiver form to acknowledge among other things the risks inherent in running a 10km race unfit,’ said Ali, a former World Universities Games, African Championship and Commonwealth Games long jump champion.

Ali further revealed that the race will be conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

‘IAAF Road Race Label Regulations will also apply to the Okpekpe Road Race 2015 which has been certified by the IAAF as a Bronze Label road race,’said Ali.

The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and Rights Acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the AFN and Edo state government.

The previous editions of the race were dominated by East Africans with Kenya’s Moses Masai winning the maiden edition while Ethiopia’s Teshome Asafan won the men’s title at the second edition and his country woman, Wuday Ayalew winning the women’s title.

Okpekpe 2015: International Athletes To Arrive From May 14

The coordinator of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race, Yusuf Alli, has revealed that some of the international athletes will be arriving the community from May 14 ahead of the race scheduled for May 16.

Speaking with our correspondent, Alli said all the athletes pencilled down for the race have confirmed their participation and will be coming in from May 14.

“We are going to intensify preparation immediately after the national election and I can confirm to you that the international athletes will be arriving from May 14,” he said.

“Because of our plan for the race, we have contacted some top long distance runners across the continent while some others have also signified their interest.”

On the performance of some of the country’s athletes at the Splash FM Integrity Race in Ibadan, the 1990 Commonwealth Games gold medallist said it was a welcome development.

Splash FM Marathon 2014, photo credit splashfm1055.com

He said: “The idea is to have enough major races before the competition so that our athletes can be in top shape for the race.”

He however said the target of the organiser, Padmodzi was to see in the nearest future a citizen of the Okpekpe community representing Nigeria at the Olympics in long distance race.

“The plan for us in Padmozi is that in future somebody from Okpekpe community will compete in the Olympic Games for Nigeria.

“We have athletes from Edo State at the Olympics and the neighbouring states, but we want someone from the town itself to represent Nigeria in long distance race at the Olympics,” Alli added.

Nesiama Give Kudos To Okpekpe Organisers

The Technical Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, has poured encomiums on the organisers of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race.

Speaking with Journalists recently, Nesiama said for the organisers to have been consistent for the past three years, shows that they know what they were doing.

“We need to encourage our marathoners and that was the reason why we have been involving them in our programs,” Nesiama said.

“I am using this opportunity to give kudos to the organisers of the Okpekpe Road Race. They have been giving their all to organise a befitting meet for the past three years and I am happy for their efforts.”

Speaking further, he said so many organisations have been coming to the federation to organise such international meets like the Okpekpe Road Race, but they have failed to meet up with the requirements.

The Naval officer said: “Lot of organisers want to come around and have competitions, but most of them cannot meet up with the requirements needed.

“We have had issues in the past where promoters held meets and they were unable to pay the athletes even the foreign athletes and the federation was sanctioned for it.

“There was a time IAAF almost sanctioned AFN because of issues like this, but we never experienced that with the Okpekpe meet.”

He however declared that the federation will continue to give support to the organisers and any organisation that wants to organise a good meet.