Ebenyo eager to make historic defence of Okpekpe race title

Daniel Ebenyo has said he wants to return to Nigeria in May to defend his Okpekpe international 10km road race title.

The Kenyan ran a new 28:28 course record to win the men’s title on his debut and now wants to make history as the first man to successfully defend an Okpekpe race title.

“I am interested in returning to Nigeria to run at the Okpekpe race. Nigeria is like my second home,’ says the 28 year old who went on to win the 10,000m silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary and another silver medal, this time in the half Marathon at the World Road Running  Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Asked if he was coming back to break the course record he set last year and probably become the first man to run under 28 minutes in Okpekpe, Ebenyo was non-committal.

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“May be I will try,” he said.

The Okpekpe International 10km road race will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year and organisers have said it will be the best ever in terms of its glamour and entertainment.

“The technical and administrative organisation of the event have been applauded by World Athletics with the elevation of the event to a gold label status after its return from a two-year COVID-induced absence,’ said Zack Amodu, the race director.

The Okpekpe International 10km road race is the first road running event in West Africa to be granted a label race. This year’s race will be held on May 25 in Okpekpe, Edo state.