Athletes based in Cross River State have expressed disappointment after visiting runners dominated the just-concluded 24km Calabar Marathon, taking home all the top prizes, including the N2 million first-place cash reward.
The race, which ended on Saturday evening in Calabar, saw 17-year-old Gang James Boyi from Plateau State clinch the gold medal in the male category with a time of 1:04:24.
In the female category, 28-year-old Agofure Charity from Delta State defended her title, finishing with a time of 1:19:78 and earning N1 million in prize money.
Runner-up in the male category was Francis Musa, also from Plateau State, with a close finish at 1:04:51.
In the female category, Elizabeth Nuhu came second with a time of 1:22:47. The second-place finishers received N500,000 each, while those who finished third were rewarded with N300,000.
The champions credited their victories to rigorous training and dedication, and thanked the Cross River State Government for organizing the marathon and offering a platform to compete.
However, local athletes expressed sadness over the outcome.
Eteng Onu, a participant from Cross River, lamented, “It’s painful that after all the effort, I couldn’t win anything.”; Another runner, Philip Ekpenyong, simply said, “I am not happy.”;
Sports analyst Clinton Akpan suggested that local runners need to learn from the consistent winners and adopt better training strategies.
Speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem — representing Governor Bassey Otu — emphasized that the marathon reflects the government’s commitment to youth empowerment.
“The Calabar Marathon aligns with our policy of putting the people first. It’s a way to show young people that there are better alternatives to social vices,”; he said.
Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, which organized the event, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to expanding and improving the marathon in future editions.
