Okpekpe 10km Road Race defending champion, Daniel Ebenyo, has said that his dream of becoming the first man to successfully defend title has been derailed by injury.
The Kenyan is also lamenting his inability to be the first man to break 28 minutes at the race after setting a 28:28 course record in 2023.
The 28 year old won the men’s title last year and had promised to return this year to his second country, Nigeria, but an injury he sustained in training means he will not be in Okpekpe to defend the title.
‘I had a dream to be the first man to defend my title and run another course record but definitely I can’t again,’ the Kenyan star wrote in a message to the Okpekpe race media.
Ebenyo, like the good sportsman that he is, is wishing the athletes who will compete for honours this year all the best. “I am hereby wishing all the runners all the best and may the best athlete win,’ said the — Kenyan to win the men’s title at the race.
Ebenyo also has nice words for the organizers of the world class, gold label 10km road race. “Okpekpe is always a bridge and a mother to all races in Africa. God bless Okpekpe and God bless the organizer of the race. See you next year,’ wrote Ebenyo who made the podium at both the World Athletics Championships in Budapest and World Athletics Road Running championships in Riga after emerging Okpekpe race champion last year.
This year’s race is the 10th in the series and organisers have assured of another world class event come May 25 in Okpekpe in Edo state of Nigeria.
The race is the first road race in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics’ certified measurer and the first be in West Africa to be granted label status to depict its world class status.
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