The organisers of the maiden Lagos Media Marathon have appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to sustain the renewed culture of road races and marathon in the state.
Chairman of the Organising Committee for the media race, Tony Ubani, said yesterday that Lagos has been blessed with another visionary leader, adding that Sanwo-Olu’s first few days in the office gives room for optimism.
Lagos with its Bronze Label Access Bank Marathon is already on the calendar of the International International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) with the yearly race ranked among the top in the world with the large volume of participants it commands.
Ubani enjoined the new Lagos governor to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode by further promoting marathon and road races, which have made Lagos visible on the world’s sports map.
He said aside from the health benefits, the tourism and economic gains from the marathon and road races are enormous and should be further explored by the new Lagos State government.
Ubani added: “ With Lagos now at the forefront of marathon and road races in Nigeria and beyond, we are confident that our new governor will keep the flag flying and even take this to the next level.”
Ubani revealed that preparations were at an advanced stage for the Lagos Media Marathon, saying the new governor would be accorded the honour of flagging off this historic race billed to take place later in the year.
“We are working hard to make this race a memorable one, we have also resolved that His Excellency will be the one to flag off the race,” Ubani stated.
Gov Sanwo-Olu was the only gubernatorial candidate that personally interfaced with the Sports Writers Association and the general sports community in Lagos during his campaign and for Ubani, his actions even before coming to office suggest better days for sports in the Centre Excellence.
“We would be banking on the Lagos State government for all the support we can get for this Media Race and with what we have seen so far; especially with the visionary leadership displayed within his first few days in office, we are very positive of getting it right from this first edition,” Ubani said.
