Ali Reveals World-class Cast for Okpekpe Race

Former Nigeria long jump champion and record holder, Yusuf Ali, has revealed a world-class cast of elite athletes for next month's 3rd Okpekpe 10km Road Race in Okpekpe, Edo State

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Ali said that the organisers of the race have been able to get athletes who have been in top form since the start of the year and believes a new course record will likely be witnessed come May 16 when the event holds in Okpekpe.

“I am thrilled that we have been able to secure two of the fastest three men in the world over 10km this year. We have Amos Kiplimo Mitel of Kenya who ran a new personal best of 27.58 minutes early this month in Paderborn, Germany. That is the second fastest time in the world so far this year. He is only bettered by  Germany's Homiyu Tesfaye who ran four seconds faster (27:54) to win the race in Paderborn,” said a delighted Ali who also revealed the capture, as it were of Dawi Fikadu of Ethiopia.

“Fikadu holds the third fastest time in the world so far this year at 28.04 minutes and both times (Mitel and Fikadu's) are better than the 28.26 minutes Okpekpe course record set last year by Ethiopia's Teshome Asafan,” he said and revealed why organisers of the event have to get the best legs to compete in the race.

“Like you know, the Okpekpe 10km Road Race is an IAAF Bronze Label race which must have an international elite field,” he said adding that the IAAF requires a  minimum  of  five  men  and  five  women  participating  in  the competition.
“Since our own is a bronze label race, the minimum number of nationalities participating is four.'

Ali, a former IAAF World Championship and Olympics long jump finalist also revealed that
the Okpekpe 10km course which starts from Apama Road and ends in Okpekpe will be  closed to vehicular traffic with  the  exclusion  of official vehicles, for the duration of the event until the published cut-off time.

“The Start will be traffic free until the last runner has started and the Finish will
be traffic free until the last runner finishes or the cut-off time is reached,” he said and assured that all the IAAF rules guiding the organisation of the race will be strictly adhered to.