Ikogosi Marathon expects 13,700 participants in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ThisDay
The Ikogosi Marathon in Ekiti State, Nigeria, will bring together more than 13,700 participants, including Kenyans and Ethiopians, for its fourth edition. The 17.5-kilometre race is due to take place on 31 October 2026, with participation up 109% year on year, according to organisers cited by This Day.
More than 13,700 runners, including Kenyan and Ethiopian nationals, have registered for the Ikogosi Marathon, scheduled for 31 October 2026 in Ekiti State, Nigeria, the organisers announced on 29 October. The 17.5-kilometre race will start at 7 am from the Ilawe-Ekiti roundabout and finish at the Ikogosi Warm Springs tourist complex, ThisDay reports.
Registrations have risen by 109% from the 6,569 participants in the 2025 edition. The winners of the men’s and women’s elite categories will each receive 2.5 million naira; the best runners from Ekiti State will each receive 2 million.
The event’s founder, Makinde Araoye, said the organisers aimed to make the marathon a tool for youth development, tourism promotion and community transformation. They are working to create an international 42.195-kilometre race by 2027.
Created in 2014, the event has grown from an inaugural 10-kilometre race with 241 participants to about 13,722 registered runners in 2026. Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes had already taken part in the previous edition.
