Organisers of the annual Okpekpe Road Race have launched a 30-day countdown ahead of this year’s edition in the bid to achieve one of the best race in history.

This year’s (6th) edition will take place on Saturday May 12 in Okpekpe near Auchi, Edo State.

According to the race organisers, Pamodzi Sports Marketing, this year’s race will be the first ever IAAF silver label road race to be technology-driven in West Africa.

While speaking about the event, race spokesman Dare Esan said: “Our mission remains the same and this is to ensure we get more Nigerians involved in road running so that we can restore that tradition that we had in the past when Abbas Mohammed ran a world class 2 hours,16 minutes in the full marathon.”

“The fact that it is now a silver label race has made it compulsory that we move a notch up to meet the requirements for organising a race that the IAAF has designated as one of the leading road races around the world.” he added.

Speaking further, Esan added: “What we have noticed in road races in Nigeria is the absence of startlist for a race and this is hampered by the fact that in some races registration is done even on the eve of the race.

“Okpekpe race is world class and it is organised in strict adherence to all relevant IAAF competition rules. This gave us the bronze label in 2015,the first ever by a road race in Nigeria nay West Africa and now the silver. This is no mean feat as we have satisfied all the very conditions set by the IAAF.” he concluded.

The organisers also revealed that registration deadline is May 5.