By VICTOR OKOYE

With just 14 days to race day, organisers of the 2026 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have released official guidelines on bib usage, cut-off times and medal eligibility for participating runners.

The race technical director, Yusuf Ali, said on Saturday that the announcement forms part of final preparations for the Feb. 14 event and is aimed at promoting transparency, fairness and compliance with international marathon standards.

According to Ali, the 42km marathon will start at 6:30 a.m. and officially close at 12:00 p.m., providing runners with a six-hour race window.

He explained that runners are free to maintain their preferred pace within the approved time frame, noting that cut-off times apply strictly to medal qualification.

“Only runners who complete their race before the official cut-off time will be awarded an Access Bank Lagos City Marathon finisher’s medal,” Ali said.

He added that runners picked up by the sweeper bus will be classified as non-finishers, have their bibs marked and will not be eligible for medals.

Bibs will also be marked at the finish line after medal collection to ensure strict enforcement of the policy.

Runners who cross the finish line after the cut-off time, Ali noted, will receive certificates of participation but no finisher’s medals.

In spite of the strict regulations, Ali emphasised that the marathon remains a celebration of the courage, determination and commitment of every participant. (NAN)