Kenyan athletes made a clean sweep of the men’s and women’s categories at the Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon, walking away with a whopping $25,000 in prize money.
Kephar Namutala and Mercy Jepkemoi led the charge, winning the men’s and women’s titles in impressive times of 1:05:14:45 and 1:14:53:23, respectively.
Persecondnews reports that Namutala’s victory earned him $8,000, while his countrymen Edwin Kipyago and Ezekiel Chepkoromi took home $6,000 and $5,000, respectively, for finishing second and third.
Jepkemoi’s win was equally impressive, and she took home a significant portion of the prize money.
“It’s quite brilliant what we are seeing here, and it clearly aligns with our vision at the Sports Commission.
“If we take this kind of event very seriously, it can give Nigeria a comparative advantage in road racing in the near future,” said Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Dikko praised the organizers, Nilayo Sports Management, for their excellent work.
On his part, NSC Director General Bukola Olopade reiterated this praise, adding his confidence that Nigeria will soon produce elite long-distance runners.
“The feasibility that the organisers, Nilayo Sports, are giving to long distance in Nigeria is highly commended, and Premium Trust Bank Abuja City marathon is another success story that will be remembered for a long time,” Olopade said.
Persecondnews also reports that Nigeria’s top athlete was Adamu Shehu, who secured fourth place overall. For his efforts, he was awarded $4,000 and ₦2 million.
Further demonstrating the depth of Nigerian talent, Auta Monday and Friday Elisha also delivered impressive performances, finishing eighth and ninth overall, respectively.
In the women’s category, the nation saw strong results with Shambor Blessing and Akusho Lydia finishing second and third, respectively.
Their outstanding performances were a major highlight of the event and signal a promising future for Nigerian athletics.
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