… Organisers call for sponsorship
By Femi Atolagbe
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Tosin Adedeji and Charity Agofure have emerged winners of the 2023 Owa Oropo male and Female marathon race held in Akure.
The event was part of activities marking the Ulefunta Festival.
The Chairman of the technical committee and former Commonwealth medalist, Lawrence Adegbehingbe, said 13 male and six female athletes participated in the 20 kilometres Akure Owa- Oropo Marathon Race.
He added that the palace aides also participated in the traditional race called Omode Owas which has been in existence for the past 500 years.
Adegbehingbe, an ex-Olympian, said the marathon race had afforded young talents to showcase their potentials for national recognition.
The Deji of Akure land, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, while presenting cash prizes, gifts and certificates of participation to the winners of both Marathon race and the traditional race, called on sons and daughters of the kingdom home and in the diaspora to support the initiative for better outcome.
Oba Aladetoyinbo said the marathon race will be consolidated upon next year with new initiatives to make it a world class event even as he called for more partnership to boost the event.
The Chairman, Central Steering Committee Ulefunta, Olu Adekunle Ajanaku said the committee saw the need to complement the traditional race with a more standard and competitive race that can be of tourism value like other marathon races worldwide.
Ajanaku said the subsequent edition will be improved upon and called for Sponsors as from 2024.
He described the latest rebranding of the Owa Oropo marathon race as a brainchild of the Ulefunta festival.
He said: “We are already rebranding the race to attract global audience and we are calling on all sons and of Akure kingdom to support the marathon race”.
The winner of the male category went home with N100,000, while the winner of the female received N80,000.
First runner up and second runner up in the both categories also got cash prizes, while the winners of traditional race also received prizes ranging from standing fan, pressing iron and other items.