Ezekiel adds ₦250,000 bonus to 400m hurdles prize at Lagos meet
- Nathaniel Ezekiel has put up ₦750,000 in total for the men's 400m hurdles at the Athletic Heat meet on November 7.
- ₦500,000 goes to the top eight finishers, with ₦250,000 extra for anyone who breaks 51 seconds.
- The race, at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, is named the Nathaniel Ezekiel 400m Hurdles Showdown.
Commonwealth Games champion Nathaniel Ezekiel is putting his own money behind the men's 400m hurdles at next month's Athletic Heat anniversary meet in Lagos, with a total of ₦750,000 on the line for the race.
The event holds on November 7 at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex and forms part of Athletic Heat's 10th anniversary programme, tagged "10 Years of Impact. A Legacy That Keeps Running."
The ₦750,000 is split in two ways. Eight hundred thousand naira — no, ₦500,000 — will be shared among the first eight athletes across the line. A further ₦250,000 is set aside as a bonus for any runner who finishes under 51 seconds.
The race has been named the Nathaniel Ezekiel 400m Hurdles Showdown in honour of the national record holder in the event.
Two targets for the runners
Athletes in the field now have two things to chase: a top-eight place for a slice of the ₦500,000 pool, and a sub-51-second clocking for the extra ₦250,000.
Ezekiel said the bonus is meant to push competitors to test how far they can go and to give Nigerian athletes more chances to earn from their performances. He also commended Athletic Heat for staying with the sport for a decade, and asked athletes who have not yet registered to do so before the meet.
Athletic Heat Chief Executive Officer Ese Oguma welcomed the contribution, saying the sub-51-second mark hands competitors a clear target and should add spice to the anniversary event. He thanked Ezekiel for supporting the organisation's vision.
The details were made public in a statement by Maxwell Kumoye, chairman of the media committee of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.
Ezekiel is not the only athlete backing the meet. Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, discus thrower Ebubechukwu Vincent Ugwoke, high jumper Temitope Adeshina and sprinter Edidiong Udo have also put up prize money.
What happens next
Registration was done through A3Tickets, with the deadline set for October 24. Athletes who have entered now turn their attention to November 7, when the hurdles final will decide who shares the ₦500,000 pool and whether anyone takes home the extra ₦250,000.
