Joy Abiye of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps triumphed in the 8th edition of the Lagos Women Run on Saturday, marking her second championship win in the tournament, as reported by Sunday PUNCH.
Abiye demonstrated her prowess by surpassing thousands of competitors to claim the N1.5 million prize money after completing the Open race in a remarkable time of 39:13:78 seconds. The second and third-place finishers received N500,000 and N300,000, respectively, while the top 20 participants were awarded various cash prizes.
Hailing from Okitipupa, Ondo State, Abiye had previously secured victory in the 2021 10km Lagos Women Run with a time of 33:41:4 seconds, earning her a cash prize of N1 million.
The 2023 tournament witnessed an impressive registration of over 50,000 women globally, with 7,000 participants officially starting the race at 7:00 a.m. at Tafawa Balewa Square and concluding at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena. The route covered the scenic loop of Lagos Island and part of Victoria Island before finishing at the stadium.
Long-distance runner Deborah Pam from Plateau State secured the second position in the Open race, while Patience Dalyop and Elizabeth Nuhu, also from Plateau, claimed the third and fourth positions, respectively.
Expressing her excitement after winning the race for the second time, the 31-year-old Abiye shared, “I am very excited to win again because I trained well for this and prepared myself mentally and I scaled through.
I was unable to win last year and subsequently came fourth because I had an injury. But this year I gave myself to it, and thank God I won.”
Tayo Popoola, the coordinator of the race, emphasized that the Lagos Women Run is more than just a competition for prizes; it serves as a platform for women’s empowerment.
Popoola highlighted the event’s significance in enabling women to overcome challenges, break barriers, and challenge stereotypes.
In the Veteran race, 45-year-old policewoman Helen Mamman emerged victorious with a time of 50:11:5 seconds, securing the N300,000 cash prize.
The second and third-place veterans received N200,000 and N100,000, respectively, with additional cash prizes awarded to the top ten finishers.
