No fewer than 500 athletes have so far registered for the 5th edition of the annual 10 Kilo Metre Owan Marathon race scheduled for Saturday.

The organiser of the annual race, Chris Ojo, disclosed this in an interview on Friday.

Ojo said the event, actively supported by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), had athletes from Abia, Plateau, Ondo, Imo, Lagos, and Delta already registered as participants.

He said, however, that athletes from Plateau were more in number among the registered participants. He added that there was improved organisation in the 5th edition compared to the previous editions.

“This is the 5th edition of the race, and you must know that as the years go by, we try to improve on every aspect of the event. As for the 2026 edition, we improved on every level of organisation because we have plans to welcome international stars to compete with our own (Nigerians) like every other organised marathon in the country.

“You will recall that we started this annual event modestly, and we have gotten to a point where we are looking to effect changes as part of an effort to go international.

“Of course, we already have the backing of the state and the AFN. All we are doing now is to improve the level of organisation to get to that level we are aiming at,” Ojo said.

Speaking on the prize money, the organiser said, “We are obligated to do this because of the biting effect of the economy.

“Everything and all things have kind of doubled in price, including the cost of transportation and other logistics.”

Ojo further explained that the race was first started as a way to discover and groom talents at the local level for global stardom.

He revealed that some of the athletes discovered in previous editions of the race have gone ahead to feature in some of the country’s marathon races, such as the Lagos and Okpekpe races.

Meanwhile, the speaker of the Edo House of Assembly (EDHA), Blessing Agbebaku, has pledged support for the annual event.

While commending the organisers for the initiative, Mr Agbebaku noted that it was time the event was supported by well-meaning Nigerians, especially those from the state.

According to him, the initiative will help reduce vices in youths and help channel their energy towards sports development.

“My plan is to ensure the Owan Marathon initiative is turned into a statewide event where athletes who will represent the state in competitions can be picked,” he said.

(NAN)