Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: AFN appoints experienced technical delegates

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has appointed its Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, and foremost athletics coach, Tony Osheku, as technical delegates to the Silver-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, which holds this weekend in Lagos.

Onikeku is a former Nigeria international, while Osheku ranks as one of the most knowledgeable coaches in road running.

They will together with World Athletics’ technical delegates be responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable Rules and Regulations and World Athletics Label Road Race Regulations.

The organiser of the race will provide all necessary passes, accreditation and assistance to give to the technical delegates access to the requested operational areas and pre-race meetings, and generally facilitate their work.

Tafida Gadzama, the AFN Road Race Director, says the organisation and conduct of the federation’s road races will henceforth be overseen by the appointment of appropriately skilled and experienced Technical Delegates in line with international best practices.

“The AFN under the leadership of Chief Tonobock Okowa will ensure all international best practices are ensured in the running of our programmes going forward and we have started with the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, one of the two silver-label road races in Nigeria,” said Gadzama, an Olympic 4x400m gold medallist.

Gadzama, the second Olympic gold medal winner ever to be elected as a board member of the AFN, says he is very delighted that Nigeria has two world rated road running events and thanked the organisers of the two races for putting Nigeria firmly on the map of the world in terms of sports.

“World Athletics Label Road Races are races that the international governing body for athletics designates as one of the leading road races around the world. We are delighted Nigeria has two of such races,” he further said.

The second race is the Okpekpe international 10km road race, the first race to be granted a label rating in Nigeria and West Africa by World Athletics.