Plateau runners sweep Adebayo’s Christmas marathon

…win 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes

Marathon runners from Plateau State swept the top three positions at the Adewole Adebayo 2025 Christmas Marathon held on Sunday in Ondo City, Ondo State.

The competition, which featured male and female athletes from across Nigeria as well as other African countries including Ghana, Benin Republic and Burundi, saw Plateau runners dominate the podium. The winners went home with prize money of ₦2 million, ₦1 million and ₦500,000 for first, second and third places respectively.

Consolation prizes of ₦50,000 each were also awarded to runners who finished between fourth and 10th positions.

The top finishers were identified as Giang James Boi, Francis James and Musa Bala Sati.

The marathon was held alongside the Queen Lilian Adebayo Health Walk, during which the top 10 participants received ₦100,000 each as encouragement.

Speaking on the event, the Organising Chairman of the marathon, Omoyele Sowore, said the competition did not attract the level of international participation envisaged by the organisers. He attributed this to late publicity, noting that better and earlier promotion would have drawn more elite foreign athletes, especially given the attractive prize money on offer.

Sowore added that while the marathon has been officially recognised and certified, there were logistical shortcomings, particularly the absence of water at some designated water points along the route. He also suggested that prize money should be increased to attract top international runners, noting that elite athletes, especially from Kenya, typically compete for much higher rewards.

“If we want this marathon to become truly international, the prize must reflect global standards. Anyone running 15 kilometres should not be earning less than ₦5 million, and international runners will not accept anything less than $20,000,” he said.

Meanwhile, the organiser of the event, Prince Adewole Adebayo, said the marathon was designed to empower young people and help them maximise their potential. He encouraged participants to remain focused on meaningful pursuits that would positively impact their lives and communities.