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**As 7UP Bottling Co waters the routes
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief, Abuja
Abuja Marathon Press Conference: L-R – Mr. Yusuf Ali, General Manager, Abuja City International Half Marathon; Mr. Joshua Ohia, Nord Motors; Nordin Khan, President, World Ultra Running; Chief Solomon Ogba, NOC 1st Vice President; Mr. Sina Atilola, Executive Director, Digital & Transaction Banking, Premium Trust Bank; Mr Tonobok Okowa, AFN Presisent; Mr. Lukas Istifanus, Director of Sports, FCT; Chief Bukola Olopade, MD/ CEO, Nilayo Sports Management Ltd; Mr. Segun Ogunleye General Manager, Marketing 7-Up Bottling Company and Mr. Olamide Bello, General Manager, Sales & Business Development Dana Group.
The organisers of Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon which will hold in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja tomorrow April 20, 2024, Nilayo Sports Management Limited (NSML) have promised that the event will be a pacesetter event for marathons in Nigeria.
This is even as they have assured the residents that the Abuja marathon will meet international standards of road races because of the introduction of necessary checks which will eliminate cheating including spy cameras from start to finish of the race.
Addressing the media at Transcorp Hilton Abuja on Friday ahead of the race, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Nilayo Sports, Chief Bukola Olopade, assured participants and the general public that the maiden Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon will be organised in the most professional way hence the involvement of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
According to him the involvement of the highly respected international
sports personalities like the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Chief Solomon Ogba; AFN President, Chief Tonobok Okowa and Nordin Khan, President, World Ultra Running as well as the participation of the partnering companies namely Premium Trust Bank, 7-Up Bottling Co. Plc, Dana Airline, Nord Motors, etc, is a confirmation of the seriousness of the event.
Olapade therefore assured that the race will live up to its billing and urged the residents and the participants to brace themselves to a marathon that will be talked about for a long time to come just as he eulogised the FCT Director of Sports, Mr.Luka Istafanus for his role in convincing the FCT Administration to approve the hosting of the race in the capital city.
In his brief comment, Mr. Sina Atilola, Executive Director, Digital & Transaction Banking, PremiumTrust Bank disclosed that the new generation bank is very serious with sports sponsorship, pointing out that the Managing Director of the two years old bank is deliberate in using sports to employ a large number of Nigerian youths to tame insecurity in the country.
“We are serious with sports sponsorship and within two years of our existence we have partnered with Nigerian elite athletes like long jumoer, Ese Brume; 100m Hurdler,Tobi Amusan and women’s football club, Bayelsa Queens of Yanegoa just as we started with the sponsorship of the AFN and National Sports Festival.
“Premium Trust Bank’s MD is deliberate in using sports to employ a large number of Nigerian youths who will not be employed in the offices. Like in marathon race, we are into sports sponsorship for a long haul”, Sina Atilola stated.
Also speaking at the event, representative of another headline sponsor of the Abuja race, Mr Segun Ogunleye, General Manager, Marketing, 7-Up Bottling Company Plc, said the company is very passionate about the youth of Nigeria and for the reason agreed to partner Nilayo Sports to power the Abuja marathon.
Said he: “Unlike the headline sponsor, Premium Trust Bank, we have been existing around. And that’s amazing because it is a truism that the youth remains the future of our country and if we have a bank that represents the future of the country then we are super excited to continue to partner with them.
“We are not two years, 7-Up Bottling Company is old and as a matter of fact every single October 1 since 1960 when Nigeria celebrates her independence, the company celebrates its own anniversary. Our first bottle of 7-Up drink roll off the line on October 1, 1960. So you can see that our destiny and that of Nigeria is tied together and will continue to refresh our Naija consumers’ lifestyle. That is what we doing across all the portfolio and we ‘ll continue to do that.
“So, what we are seeing in AFN and Nilayo Sports, we see a country that is going to be running and be running and getting her gold. Not just with marathon but also as an entity. So, we are super excited to be here and as a business and we are really ready to water the Water Points of the Abuja marathon and we really ready to refresh the athletes and as a charge, as we used to say for so long, with 7-Up “let your difference be clear”.
In his remarks, the AFN President, Tonobok Okowa said he agreed to associate with Premium Trust Bank Abuja International Marathon Marathon because of the confidence he has on Nilayo Sports, adding that company will soon get Gold Label for Lagos Marathon while he expects Abuja event will surpass Lagos.
The Race Director and Chairman of AFN Road Running Commission, Yusuf Alli disclosed that participants in the Abuja International Marathon will have transponders and chips to eliminate cheating including the use of other devices and equipment to monitor racers across all the routes.
FCT Director of Sports Mr. Lukas Istafanus stated that this is the first a proper marathon race will take place in capital city and assured that it will be successful.
NOC 1st Vice President Ogba praised corporate responsibility roles Premium Trust Bank, 7-Up Bottling Co and other corporate bodies are doing in Nigeria despite the economic hardship just as he thanked Nilayo Sports and Padmozi Sports Marketing for driving sports sponsorship in the country.
Meanwhile, the start point of the Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon is the Abuja City Gate, the entrance to FCT which the Nigerian authorities created when the seat of government moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991.
The race continues straight down and turn right into Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway straight up to Apo Roundabout and turn left Muritala Mohammed Way.
From the Muritala Mohammed Way, the race continues straight up to Asokoro Roundabout. The runners continue by turning right into the Yakubu Gowon Way, and move straight down to the AYA Roundabout and turn left into President Goodluck Jonathan Expressway.
The runners will continue straight down and turn right into Shehu Shagari Way, go straight down and turn left into Constitution Avenue and from the Constitution Avenue, the race continue down and turn left into the Mohammed Buhari Way and continue straight down to turn left into the Moshood Abiola Road, where they will continue straight down and make a U-turn on Moshood Abiola Road, to turn right into the Finish Point at the Old Parade Ground, Garki.
International athletes
Prize money male/female
1st 5,000 (USD)
2nd 3,000
3rd 2,000
4th 1,000
5th 700
6th 500
Nigerian Racers:
1st N1m
2nd N750 000
3rd N500,000
4th N300,00p
5th N200,000
6th N100,000