Alabi Retains Lagos Women Run Crown As Fatodu Hails Massive Turnout

Aminat Alabi has successfully defended her title at the 11th edition of the Lagos Women Run, winning the 10km race in 38 minutes, 37.26 seconds on Saturday.

Alabi, who made history last year as the first Lagos-based athlete to win the competition, maintained her dominance ahead of Cameroonian Nguesta Lilian, who finished second in 39:31.68, while Jecinta Elias placed third in 40:32.12.

Thousands of women from different backgrounds participated in the annual race, which started at Tafawa Balewa Square and ended at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos.

Held under the theme, ‘One City, One Stride, Let’s Run Together’, the event seeks to promote women’s participation in sports, physical fitness and healthy living.

Speaking after the race, the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, described the turnout as impressive and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the initiative.

“This is an exceptional run again. The turnout was impressive and the responses are inspiring.

“We are sending messages of wellness and the need for people to embrace a healthy lifestyle,” Fatodu said.

He added that the Lagos State Government, through the Sports Commission, would continue to support the competition as a platform for promoting inclusivity and encouraging women to participate in sports and other sectors.

Beyond the 10km race, the 11th edition featured a three-day empowerment and sustainability programme held from November 10 to 12 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The programme, coordinated by the Executive Director of Mateen Lander Impact Foundation, Sidikat Folami, focused on financial inclusion, economic self-sufficiency, climate literacy and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

Participants received practical training on recycling, business development and transforming discarded materials into useful products, with the aim of creating sustainable sources of income.

Activities included the production of tyre ottoman stools, creative enterprise development and waste-to-wealth initiatives.

The health and wellness sessions also addressed personal hygiene, grooming, exercise, healthy eating, intimate relationships and ageing gracefully.

Speaking at a pre-event briefing, Folami said the empowerment programme was designed to help women identify economic opportunities within their communities, particularly through recycling and sustainable business ventures.

The race coordinator, Tayo Popoola, said the initiative was deliberately structured to extend beyond the sporting competition by providing participants with opportunities for training, lectures and networking.

“We are so happy that the entire event went well, especially the turnout,” Popoola said.

The organisers said the combination of competitive running, health education and economic empowerment was aimed at making the Lagos Women Run a broader platform for improving women’s participation in sports and community development.