Organizers postpone Abuja International Marathon
The Abuja International Marathon has been postponed to April 2023 according to a statement signed by Race Director Olukayode Thomas.
The race, a first of its kind in Abuja and the FCT, was scheduled for December 17 at an elaborate press conference which unveiled the race on June 30
Thomas said everything was in place for the FCT's first international marathon, until the security threat issued by the US Embassy and other foreign missions in Nigeria on October 23 that it was planned to bomb the FCT and parts of Nigeria.
“We have already put everything in place to organize a great race. Our route has been measured and calibrated by Norrie Williamson, one of the best route measurers in the world, we have signed around 120 overseas elite runners and around 200 local runners and thousands of runners, both avid marathon runners and fun racers but, the security threat especially with the press release mentioning that they are planning to attack a track and field event in the FCT and that our race is the only track and field event scheduled for the FCT, we need to go back and redefine our strategies"
Thomas revealed that there had been a series of meetings with the upper echelon of security agencies to find a way around the situation and prevent the postponement, not only because of the efforts that Unicentral Resources Generation Limited and the FCT have put in place to put on a successful race but thanks to the runners, managers, sponsors and other marathon and road racing stakeholders who have invested so much in the race.
Unfortunately, security agencies insisted on the postponement and said the best time to hold the race was after the elections.
“We did everything we could to avoid this unfortunate postponement and make history by organizing the first international marathon in FCT, but the security agencies advised us to postpone. As a responsible organization that places great importance on human life, we have no choice but to listen to safety experts.We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused to riders and other industry stakeholders. A new date will be announced soon, it will be shortly after the elections, most likely in April 2023, probably the last Saturday of the month.'' Thomas said.
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The Abuja International Marathon has been postponed to April 2023 according to a statement signed by Race Director Olukayode Thomas.
The race, a first of its kind in Abuja and the FCT, was scheduled for December 17 at an elaborate press conference which unveiled the race on June 30
Thomas said everything was in place for the FCT's first international marathon, until the security threat issued by the US Embassy and other foreign missions in Nigeria on October 23 that it was planned to bomb the FCT and parts of Nigeria.
“We have already put everything in place to organize a great race. Our route has been measured and calibrated by Norrie Williamson, one of the best route measurers in the world, we have signed around 120 overseas elite runners and around 200 local runners and thousands of runners, both avid marathon runners and fun racers but, the security threat especially with the press release mentioning that they are planning to attack a track and field event in the FCT and that our race is the only track and field event scheduled for the FCT, we need to go back and redefine our strategies"
Thomas revealed that there had been a series of meetings with the upper echelon of security agencies to find a way around the situation and prevent the postponement, not only because of the efforts that Unicentral Resources Generation Limited and the FCT have put in place to put on a successful race but thanks to the runners, managers, sponsors and other marathon and road racing stakeholders who have invested so much in the race.
Unfortunately, security agencies insisted on the postponement and said the best time to hold the race was after the elections.
“We did everything we could to avoid this unfortunate postponement and make history by organizing the first international marathon in FCT, but the security agencies advised us to postpone. As a responsible organization that places great importance on human life, we have no choice but to listen to safety experts.We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience we have caused to riders and other industry stakeholders. A new date will be announced soon, it will be shortly after the elections, most likely in April 2023, probably the last Saturday of the month.'' Thomas said.
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider providing modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help sustain relevant journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.Donate
[embedded content]TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: Call Willie - +2348098788999
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