Abuja City marathon debuts in 2008
Africa's 400m record-holder and Atlanta 1996 bronze medallist, Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo, has revealed plans for the maiden edition of the Abuja City Marathon in the Nigerian capital city.
The 42-kilometre marathon, which will be held later in the year, is coming under the auspices of the Falilat Ogunkoya Sports Foundation.
Ogunkoya-Omotayo, the founder of the foundation, told the media that the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory would inaugurate the 10-member committee to oversee the planning and execution of the race, the first of its kind in Abuja.
She said: "The minister will inaugurate the committee on Thursday here in Abuja. The committee is headed by a lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Veronica Igboanugo, who is also the chairperson of the Falilat Foundation, while Dr. G.C. Ogu, the FCT director of sports, is the secretary".
Falilat also disclosed that her foundation decided to come up with the Abuja City Marathon idea because the city is one of the very few mega-cities in the world that does not have a full marathon.
According to her, "Lagos already has a marathon albeit, a half marathon. The foundation believes the beautiful city of Abuja deserves to have one that will project it to the outside world."
Arguably Nigeria's most successful female athlete, Ogunkoya, she won two medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and is ranked the best 400 metres runner in the world by the IAAF in 1998 and third best in the overall women ranking.
