We are targeting 3,000 athletes for Enugu City Half-Marathon – Commissioner

No fewer than 3,000 athletes from across the country and beyond would be registered to participate in the first-ever Enugu City Half-Marathon tagged “Coal City Marathon’’, an official said on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Coal City Marathon will be the first-ever international half-marathon to be held in the entire South-East Zone.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Joseph Udedi, told NAN in Enugu that the marathon’s Local Organising Committee had placed a restriction on the number of participants.
Udedi said: “This was done in order to manage the number of athletes very well.”
He also said the LOC had put in place prize money for the winners, with the first-place winner getting 3,500 dollars, second-place winner 3,000 dollars and third-place winner 2,500 dollars.
He said: “There will be prize money for the first 20 winners, as well as other consolation prizes.”
The commissioner however said the LOC would, at its meeting before this week runs out, pick one Saturday in November for the marathon.
Speaking on the marathon’s benefits, he said the event would spur home-based athletes to aspire to be like known international marathon athletes.
He said: “The Coal City Marathon will put Enugu State on the world map of athletics, in the area of excellence, development and talent discovery.”
Udedi said he was hopeful that the event would even go beyond sports.
He said: “The various athletes coming in from various parts of the world will improve our local economy by increasing local goods sales and the hospitality businesses.
“The marathon period will be used to showcase the great culture and tourism prospects of Enugu State to the world.”