Athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia were the stars of the 2026 Enugu City International Marathon on Saturday. They took home the top prizes in both the men's and women's 42-kilometre races.
This annual marathon, which started in 2025, attracted runners and fans from Nigeria and other African countries.
Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and the 2027 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, surprised many by joining the marathon. He participated in the 10-kilometre men's race.
Both the 10-kilometre and 42-kilometre races began at the Mgbemena Area in Enugu and finished at the Michael Okpara Square in the Independence Layout Area of the state.
In the men’s 42-kilometre race, Kenya's Edwin Kipyogo won, finishing in two hours, 23 minutes and 38 seconds. Ethiopia's Habtamu Girma came in second with a time of two hours, 23 minutes and 39 seconds. His fellow countryman, Shiferaw Daltiemayo, took third place, finishing in two hours, 23 minutes and 41 seconds.
The top three winners, Kipyogo, Girma, and Daltiemayo, received cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively. In the first Enugu City International Marathon in 2025, Kenya’s Koros Ken won the 42-kilometre race and also took home a $15,000 prize.
Kipyogo, the 2026 winner, shared that Nigeria’s weather helped him win. He said, "The weather has been very good. The humidity was not that high. So that was why we ran very well."
In the women’s 42-kilometre race, Ethiopia’s Zennebe Aberu won, finishing in two hours, 48 minutes and 40 seconds. Kenyan runner Negashu Chatiu came second with a time of three hours, three minutes and 18 seconds. Kenya’s Adugna Mahley finished third in three hours, six minutes and 32 seconds.
The women’s top three winners, Aberu, Chatiu, and Mahley, also received cash prizes of $15,000, $10,000, and $5,000 respectively.
In the 10-kilometre female category, five Nigerians took the first five spots. They were Deborah Badung, Elizabeth Power, Fadekemi Olude, Lydia Akusho, and Anna Agi.
Nigerians also dominated the men’s 10-kilometre race. Gang Boyi, Davwi Gyany, and Pam Joshua finished first, second, and third respectively. All three athletes are from Plateau State in Nigeria's north-central region.
Boyi won N1 million, while Gyany took home N750,000. Third-place Joshua received N500,000. The fourth-placed Ismael Sadjo and fifth-placed Kasinma Phage won N300,000 and N200,000 respectively in the same category. The prize money for the women winners in the 10-kilometre race was the same as the men’s.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State presented medals to the winners. He stated that the state government aims to improve the marathon's standard with each edition.
Mbah, represented by Deputy Ifeanyi Ossai, said the marathon keeps getting better every year. He added, "So, for me, as a government, keeping the standard and ensuring the growth is important. For you being here, I want to congratulate you. I want to thank you for choosing Enugu as a place, and ask you to tell your friends."
He expressed hope that the number of participants would grow significantly in the next edition. He said, "In the next edition, we want to see the number quadruple. We have to be awesome."
The deputy governor also mentioned the state government's commitment to support the marathon's growth. He said this is part of their efforts to promote sports, health, and tourism, while making Enugu a hub for major international sporting events. He noted, "This marathon speaks to our readiness to welcome businesses to Enugu and provide and spur opportunities for young people."
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇