Nigeria’s 400m star and national record holder, Samuel Ogazi, is set to make his professional debut at the 2026 Ed Murphey Classic. The event will take place on July 10, 11 in Memphis, Tennessee, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
This meeting is part of the World Athletics Silver Continental Tour. It will be the first race for the 20-year-old since he announced that he is turning professional after a fantastic college career at the University of Alabama.
Ogazi will compete in a top men’s 400m race that includes American teenage star Quincy Wilson, Jamaica’s Antonio Watson, Grenada’s Kirani James, Delano Kennedy, Jevon O’Bryant, Elija Godwin, Randolph Ross, and Gabriel Moronta.
He finished his NCAA career after three great seasons in the United States. Ogazi is now one of the best 400m runners in college history.
His last season was truly remarkable. Just two weeks ago, Ogazi won the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a time of 43.38 seconds. This broke the NCAA record and put him fourth on the all-time world list.
Earlier this year, he also won the NCAA Indoor 400m title with a record time of 44.57 seconds. This made him the fourth-fastest indoor runner ever at that time.
Ogazi also claimed both the 2026 SEC indoor and outdoor 400m titles and defended his NCAA outdoor title, which he first won in 2025. He had previously won silver in 2024.
During his college career, Ogazi broke the Nigerian 400m record four times. He improved it from 44.02 seconds to 43.95 seconds, then to 43.82 seconds, before his impressive 43.38 seconds made him a real contender for medals on the world stage.
Other Nigerian athletes will also participate in Memphis. National high jump champion Temitope Adeshina will compete in the women’s high jump. Rosemary Chukwuma will run in the women’s 100m, Favour Ofili will take on the 200m, and Ella Onojuvwevwo will compete in the women’s 400m as they all prepare for major championships later this season.
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