In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), organisers have increased the prize money for the forthcoming ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon with further announcement that the race would feature elite runners from all ECOWAS countries.
Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee (MOC) of the race, Amb. Francis Chuks Njoaguani, said there will also be other goodies for participants.
Njoaguani disclosed that the rationale behind the 5 km Fun Run was to encourage participants and ECOWAS citizens in general to exercise and make running a way of life because of its immense health benefits.
Njoaguani, who doubles as the director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, said: “The 5 km Fun Run is special to us because we initiated it as part of the 21 km race so that more of our people will embrace the culture of walking, jogging, exercise, and running and make it part of their daily routine.
“That is why we have decided to increase the prize money for the 5km race from $750 to $1000 (about N1.7 million) to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ECOWAS and encourage our people to make running a way of life. We are not increasing the prize money for just the winner but all the top finishers as specified in the participants’ guide, we are also inviting elite runners from all ECOWAS countries”.
The ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon will be held on March 1, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria.
