How Nigerians engaged in fruitless chase of East Africans at 2018 Lagos Marathon
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Although the 2018 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon which held on Saturday February 10 has come and gone with winners and losers emerging, the memories of the event remain fresh not only in the minds of the organizers but the participants as well.
The third edition of the international event which started in 2016 was as spectacular and scintillating as the previous ones. With over 50,000 participants running the 43-km race, it has been adjudged as one of the world’s longest distance marathon races in the world.
The race attracted over 100 elite runners. Nigerians also trooped out to show ‘skills and class’ but they were glaringly outclassed by the Kenyans and Ethiopians. As enthusiastic as they were, Nigerians who took part in the event were clearly overwhelmed by the more illustrious foreigners from East Africa.
At exactly 6:30, the pistol was shot in the air to signal the commencement of the race and in thousands, the participants including this correspondent truly began to run. The elite runners who took the front rows almost pushed one another aside trying to maintain a vantage position.
While many of the elite runners especially the Kenyans, the Ethiopians and others from the Eastern Africa were far, far ahead, many Nigerians were far, far behind. In fact many started showing signs of fatigue barely after take- off. At a distance of one kilometer around Ojuelegba, some Nigerians were already jogging, some walking, and in some cases catwalking.
For them it was clearly not about winning but catching the available fun even as the Kenyans had their eyes fixed on the $50,000 prize. By the time they got to the first water point mounted by 7-Up and Aqua Fina, a core sponsor of the tournament, at kilometer three, Most local ‘competitors’ were already tired and in some cases gasping for breath.
As the sun rose high and the race progressed, many spectators had already trooped out to cheer participants along the Ikorodu road corridor comprising Fadeyi, Onipanu, Obanikoro, Palmgrove and Anthony before making a detour to Gbadada expressway up to the Third Mainland bridge which is just a distance of 12.5 kilometers. But during this period of the marathon when the sun had risen and the day already bright and shining, residents of Ikorodu road corridor were only able to cheer the Nigerian participants.
The shouts of “Catch the Kenyans”; “Where are the Kenyans” and the likes rented the air. Several attempts were made to catch up with them but their efforts were not enough to even see their shadows not to talk of catching up with them. Instead they only caught up with different water points where they refreshed and even struggled for bottle of H2O drinks and 7-Up offered by the soft drink company.
It was indeed a show of class by Nigerians in their own right. A class that exposed them as fun runners and not a marathoner running for prizes. Many Nigerians were the butt of jokes with their display which was anything but professional. “See them when the Kenyans have already gone far, you are here cat-walking, fighting over water bottles”, says a policeman who was on duty during the race. But really the policeman would not have done better if he was to join the race. Nigerians are generally seen as lazy and tactless in doing long distance race.
In the marathon was another group of runners with their leader bearing a flag with inscription, ‘follow me to finish in six hours’. Other categories of runners also including corporate people were not left out. At the third mainland bridge, many BRT buses accompanying the runners were already filled up with ‘casualties’ as many Nigerians exhausted were conveyed in the buses.
But at about 8:45, the winners had already emerged.
Kenya born-Frenchman Abraham Kiprotich won the race in 2:13:04hrs to cart away the grand prize of $50,000.
Abraham’s time set a new Lagos Marathon record, three minutes better than the record set by his fellow compatriot, Abraham Kiptum in the second edition of tourney held last year.
Kenyan duo of Ronny Kipkoech Kiboss and Benjamin Bitok came second and third finishing in 2:13:23hrs and 2:13:29hrs, winning $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.
In the female category, Ethiopia swept the prizes as the trio of Alemenesh Herpha Guta, Tigst Girma Getayechew and Ayelu Abebe Hordofa came first, second and third to win $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.
In the Nigerian category, Iliya Pam from Jos came first, crossing the finishing line in 2:40:19hrs to win N3m; while Sharubutu Philbus came second in 2:54:16hrs to win N2m and Kefas Williams also got on the medals table finishing third in a time of 2:58:1hrs to win the third prize of N1m.
There were also prizes for Nigerians in the newly introduced 10km race, which saw Sajo Ismaila (male) and Ona Salay (female) drive home a brand new saloon car courtesy of GAC Motors each and other prizes.
The 42km race started at the National Stadium, Surulere by 6:30 am and ended at the Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island, while the 10km race also began from Osborne and terminated also at the Eko Atlantic City with over 100,000 athletes battling for the various prize monies.
As it was in 2016, 2017, the Kenyans ran away with the dollars with Nigerians lacking the capacity to stop them. Though it is a global sporting event where the winners must get their prizes depending on the nationalities, many Nigerians long that such prizes are won by Nigerians.
The host Governor Akinwunmi Ambode also shares this line of thought expressing regret over the foreigners winning the race. Year in year out,Kenyans have challenged Nigerians with the marathon, the first of its kind in the country and the West African sub- region.
But can Nigerians displace the Kenyans in subsequent marathon? Many sports enthusiasts are doubtful over this happening in the nearest future.
Winning a marathon is a question of long years of adequate and untiring preparation. Kenyans, coming from a high-hilled terrain decided to take advantage of the terrain to prepare themselves.
Mr. Efe Awenore who came all the way from Delta state to participate said many Nigerians have the talent but they were not encouraged just like there is no facility on ground for them to compete with their Kenyan counterparts.
According to him, Nigerians could be better if encouraged and supported.
He said: “Nigerians have not been encouraged as such because there are no available facilities on ground here for this kind of competition . But I believe that overtime I have also been making efforts to develop myself and see how I can fall in. I believe that a whole lot of them if given the opportunity would do very well.
“Consistency, discipline and like I told you also the facility to train is available. These people are also exposed to the international arena where they have been doing competitive outings. So I believe all these have actually given them the wherewithal.”
But there are high altitude areas in Nigeria especially in the North East as well as Jos, Plateau state where athletes could be trained overtime to be exposed to long distance race. This is the advantage Pam had over other runners. But he could be better and many great athletes can be made with rigorous training and drills.
To produce great athletes in the category of Kenyans, a veteran sports writer and stakeholder, Mr. Bayour Isah is of the opinion that it takes years of planning and preparation from childhood.
He said: “We have the Mambilla Plateau, we don’t make use of it. We cannot compete with Kenyans and the reasons are not farfetched. Those from high altitude areas like the Kenyans normally take advantage of it. If you go to Marathon academies in Kenya, you would be surprised. All the athletes winning are from academy. As early as age 6, they are used to Marathon.
“The Kenyans and people from high altitude area make use of what they have to get what they want. That is what is happening”.
Certainly the Kenyans and the likes would continue to win the race until Nigerians especially the younger ones are exposed to the rudiments from early stages of life. But the Federal Government also needs to take up the challenge.
We have the Mambilla Plateau, we don’t make use of it. We cannot compete with Kenyans and the reasons are not far-fetched