By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Project Manager of Onitsha City Marathon, Dr Osondu Umeobi, has announced the sum of N330 million as the total prize money for participants of the 2023 Onitsha City Marathon race.

Umeobi disclosed this while addressing journalists during a Press Conference at the Business School in Onitsha.

According to him, over 2,000 international top athletes were being expected to participate in the race slated for September 30, 2023.

Giving details of the prizes, Umeobi said that the international male and female category winner will take home USD$200,000.

He said that the winner of the local (Nigeria) male category will getN10 million cash prize while the female category will win N5 million, adding that the top 10 participants of Anambra State origin would equally be compensated at the event.

The Project Manager also said that there will be a Media Race with a N1 million prize money for the first position.

He further explained that this year's event would feature a 42km- race as the highest, against the backdrop of 21km distance covered in 2019 when the race started.

In his speech, the founder of Onitsha Business School, Prof Segun Sogbason, stated that many innovations have been added to the second edition of the marathon race, including introduction of 50 viewing centres scattered across Anambra and Delta States to create more viewership of the programme.

He added: “Onitsha City Marathon is an initiative of the Onitsha Business School (OBS). It is a product of Doctoral and Master’s Degree students simulation class aimed at providing a solution to an observed environmental challenge in an otherwise energetic community of vibrant youth populace idling away.

“OBS, the promoters of this project intent to create three world class sporting facilities cut across Onitsha City to help promote, propagate and harness the idle sports talents in the city of Onitsha and beyond.

“Our mission is to be a platform for discovering, developing the avalanche sporting energies within the host environment and Africa at large, adopting effective coordinating methodology and contemporary technology.”

“The first edition held in 2019 was participated by athletes from Kenya, Ethiopa, United Kingdom, Togo, Cameroon and China, to name a few.”

He further solicited for sponsorship from individuals and private institutions so as to make it a memorable event.

In his remark, the Chairman, Anambra State Sports Commission, Mr Patrick-Estate Onyedum, represented by Ms Faith Okwonna, commended the organisers of the marathon race for the innovation, saying that other well -meaning individuals should join in promoting sports.

While noting that sports was not a business for government alone, she pledged government’s support to the programme, saying that it would not only benefit the masses, health-wise, but would also boost the State’s economy, businesses and the environment at large.

In his speech, the traditional Ruler of Onitsha, Obi Alfred Achebe, represented by the President-General, thanked OBS for the initiative and gave assurance that he would participate in the race, as well as ensure that the event recorded successes, as planned.