Knyan’s Bernard Sang and 25-year-old Kebene Chala of Ethiopia will be going home with $100,000 ($50,000) each after winning the 2024 edition of the annual 42km Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
The Kenyan finished at 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 49 seconds to top compatriots Simon Cheprot and Edwin Kiptoo, who finished second and third, respectively, and will go home with $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.
Sang, 32, is the latest Kenyan to win the annual competition dominated by the East African country which won in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.
Sang said he had to work harder to win the race, having practised for six months.
“I practised hard to win this race because I needed to be faster, though I was unable to beat my personal best because Lagos is hotter,” he said.
Ethiopia’s 25-year-old Kebene Chala was the first woman to get to the finish line at the 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.
She will also be claiming $50,000.
The winners of the men’s and women’s races qualified for the marathon event at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Shehu Muazu was the first Nigerian to cross the finish line and will be going home with a N1 million cash prize.
The 42km race began at the National Stadium in Surulere and ended at the Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island.
The Gold Label Marathon, an annual event that was recently upgraded by the World Athletics, aims to be the best in Africa to upgrade to Platinum by its 10th anniversary.