Marathon Games Village comes alive as runners get ready for Saturday's race

Posted : 13 February 2025

The Games Village of the 10th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon is bustling with activities as registered runners troop in to collect their kits for the race and express their readiness to participate and make their mark in the event, scheduled to take place on Saturday.

The runners spoke in separate interviews at the marathon’s Games Village, located at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Many registered runners have arrived at the village, animating the atmosphere with various activities.

A significant number of runners were seen either picking up their kits, patronizing vendors selling sports-related items, or undergoing medical checks.

Some runners were also seen jogging around the area.

One of the runners, Daniel Anyiam, said he could not wait to run the race as a first-timer.

“I am here to pick up my tag for the 10th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, and I am pretty excited to see myself in the race.

“I registered primarily to challenge myself and participate in the long-distance race—I wanted to do something difficult.

“I actually set a goal to complete three challenging tasks this year, and participating in the marathon is one of them.

“I know the marathon is a huge challenge, but I am already in it,” he said.

Anyiam added that he knew running the 42km race would not be easy, but he was up to the task.

“I know it will be tough, but my friends and I have been practicing for a month now. Just last week, I managed to run 26km with my timer.

“I think I am ready to go, nonetheless. This will be my first marathon race, and I am looking forward to having a fantastic time,” he said.

Another registered runner, Bidemi Popoola, said he would try to secure a good finish in the race, despite the high number of registered participants.

“I know we have many runners coming to participate, but I think I am ready for it too.

“I already know that the Kenyans or Ethiopians might win, so I am not really competing with them. I only started my preparations early last month, so I don’t have high expectations.

“I have been training every day, doing both indoor and outdoor workouts, focusing on upper and lower body exercises. I am in good shape and ready to go,” he said.

Popoola added: “I have also done 5km and 10km runs to stay in shape ahead of the marathon.

“The longest distance I have covered so far is 22km, coming in behind my friends.

“I have also incorporated light walks into my training, so I will approach the marathon with the mindset of a warrior, testing my strength against others.”

Another runner, Alexander Emmanuel, said he would strive to perform well in the race.

“I personally have a mantra of maintaining a high work rate and pushing myself in challenging environments.

“I have been training for over two weeks. In my first practice run, I was only able to cover 10km, which is far below the standard. But for me, I don’t think winning is the goal.

“What I want to achieve is to challenge others, and I am confident that I will not be the last person to finish,” he said.

Ifedayo Olu, another runner, said she was excited to be participating in the race for the third time.

“This race is significant to me. I have been participating for about three years now, and I am not tired of it. I missed some editions because I was out of Lagos, but whenever I am in Lagos, I can’t afford to miss the marathon.

“The Lagos marathon has always been a great experience for me, with each edition offering something unique.

“Last year, the person who ran beside me became my closest friend—we actually met for the first time at the marathon,” she said.

She described the race as exciting and urged the organizers to keep it going.

Precious Okon, one of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon media executives, said the turnout for the 2025 race had been impressive.

“I am very impressed with the turnout because we have been attending to scores of runners who have come to collect their bibs.

“As of the last count, over 60,000 runners had picked up their kits.

“The turnout this year is expectedly massive,” she said.

The organizers of the marathon stated that no fewer than 600,000 runners were expected to participate in the 10th edition.

They also revealed that the 2025 edition would feature no fewer than 4,000 international runners, along with 100 elite athletes from across the globe.

The race is tagged “Love in the Air,” aligning with the Valentine’s Day celebrations.

Marathon Games Village comes alive as runners get ready for Saturday's race

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