Athletes Set To Compete For $5,000, N1million As Lotus Bank 10km Abeokuta Race Kicks Start On Saturday

Top athletes outside Nigeria are competing for mouth watery cash prizes ranging between $5,000 and N1million in the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10kilometres Marathon Race holding this Saturday, as part of activities marking 80th birthday of the Alake of Egbaland,Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 

Project Manager of the race, Seyi Johnson who revealed this at a Media briefing on Friday in Abeokuta, explained that the 

first elite runner to reach the finish line would get $5,000 USD, second placed runner would be rewarded with $3,000 dollars while the third placed elite athlete would get $1,000 dollars.

According to him, the sum of One million naira will be given to any Nigerian athlete that get to finish line within the time frame, the second and third placed athletesowould go home with N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.

The 10km Race according to the organizers ,will kick start at Iyana-Oloke junction on Saturday morning by 8am and terminate at the Ake Palace ground in Abeokuta.

The organizers of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10Km Race also announced that its 2023 edition would be headlined by 9ice, Boye Best and Alayo Melody.

The Project Manager added that the artistes would be flanked by Taiye Elesemeta, and Big Brother Naija’s DJ Jonesjonzin and host of other local artists.

Speaking earlier, the Technical Director of the race, Dr. Yusuf Alli at the media parley with sports writers at the SWAN Secretariat in Abeokuta,  said security operatives, and other logistics had been made towards the success of the race.

Dr Alli, a three-time Olympian said part of the measures to checkmate cheating during the race included the deployment of 60 technical officials to strategic locations for the race.

The 10 kilometer Abeokuta race technical director announced that the race would be flagged off at Iyana Oloke at 8am by governor Dapo Abiodun and the President, Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN.

Dr. Alli commended the renewed vigour of former Sports Commissioner in Ogun state, Chief Bukola Olopade for staging the longest distance races in the country which he said was in accordance with the international standards.

Former Sports Commissioner.in Ogun State, Chief Olopade in a remark explained that the idea of prize money for Nigerian athletes was to encourage more participations of local athletes in the race.