Ikogosi Marathon: 13,700 runners, Kenyans and Ethiopians, set for Ekiti race
- About 13,722 runners have registered for Saturday's 17.5km Ikogosi Marathon in Ekiti State, more than double last year's 6,569.
- Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes are among the entrants, and elite winners will each take home ₦2.5 million.
- Organisers say they want to stage a full 42.195km international marathon by 2027.
More than 13,700 runners will line up for the fourth Ikogosi Marathon in Ekiti State on Saturday, 31 October, organisers have said, with Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes among the entrants.
The 17.5-kilometre race starts at 7:00 a.m. at the Ilawe-Ekiti Roundabout and ends at the Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, one of the state's best-known tourist sites.
Organisers put registration at about 13,700, up 109 per cent from the 6,569 who signed up for the 2025 edition. Athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia also ran last year, though this year's entrants are different people, according to the organisers.
The field has grown steadily since the race began in 2014 as a 10km event with 241 runners. It drew 3,786 in 2019 and 6,569 in 2025.
Cash prizes and a bigger plan
Saturday's race has male and female elite categories, plus separate races for Ekiti State indigenes. The top man and woman in the elite races will each collect ₦2.5 million, while the fastest male and female Ekiti runners will each get ₦2 million.
Founder Makinde Araoye said the race was built to use sport for youth development, job creation and tourism. "What began as a community race has grown into a platform for showcasing Ekiti State to Nigeria and the world," he said.
He added that the target is a full 42.195-kilometre international marathon by 2027.
Organisers say the event also brings business to hotels, transport operators and traders in host communities. It has been funded entirely by the MKD Araoye Foundation since it started, and the foundation also supports young workers and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) volunteers.
Araoye used the run-up to the race to ask companies, multinationals and development partners for sponsorship, saying the goal is bigger than one annual race. "We are building a sustainable sporting institution capable of attracting international athletes, visitors and investment," he said.
What happens next
The race holds on Saturday morning. After that, attention turns to whether organisers can secure the backing needed to stage the full marathon in 2027.
