Alli Confident Of Bigger, Safer Okpekpe Race As Elite Athletes Converge On Edo

With final preparations in top gear for the 11th Okpekpe International 10km Road Race, Technical Director and General Co-ordinator, Yusuf Alli, has expressed confidence that this year’s edition will surpass previous outings in both participation and organisation.

The internationally acclaimed road race, regarded as West Africa’s premier Gold Label event, is scheduled to hold on Saturday, 30 May 2026, in Okpekpe, Edo State.

Speaking in an interview with Sportsville, the Olympian revealed that athletes from different parts of the world had already begun arriving since Monday, 25 May, as organisers intensify efforts to stage another successful competition.

According to Alli, all major technical arrangements have been completed, while officials continue to work tirelessly to ensure a seamless event.

“The athletes started arriving from across the world since Monday, May 25, ahead of the race this weekend,” Alli said. “As we speak, all the technical areas have been perfected and our personnel are working round the clock to ensure we achieve a great race on Saturday.”

The former Nigerian long jump star also disclosed that this year’s race is expected to attract more elite runners than the previous edition, underlining the growing global appeal of the Okpekpe race.

“At the last edition, we had over 40 elite athletes, but for this edition, the number should be above 50 because of those who have shown interest to be here to compete,” he stated. “The numbers keep increasing at every edition and that tells you about the pedigree of the race.”

Security, according to Alli, has been given heightened attention in response to prevailing national concerns. He explained that organisers have strengthened safety measures to guarantee the protection of participants and spectators.

“I will say security has been significantly improved around our runners because of the current situation in the country,” he noted. “Our athletes will be closely monitored and the routes properly covered before, during and after the race.”

On medical preparedness, Alli expressed strong confidence in the competence of the race’s medical team led by Dr Sam Ogbondeminu, describing him as a globally certified expert with an outstanding professional record.

He noted that medical services have remained one of the race’s strongest areas since inception and insisted that this year would be no different.

“Dr Sam Ogbondeminu is the medical director for the race. His profile as the first Nigerian medical doctor to become a World Athletics-certified medical director speaks of his competence,” Alli said. “By my record, there has been no issue at all, so we trust him and his team to deliver excellently.”

Despite the race’s success, Alli admitted concern over Nigeria’s inability to produce an outright winner since the competition began, with East African runners continuing to dominate.

However, he believes local athletes are steadily improving and could soon challenge for honours.

“Our long-distance runners are still trying to meet up with their counterparts from East Africa,” he acknowledged. “But the road race culture is improving in Nigeria and we believe very soon our brothers from the Mambilla part of Plateau State, who are built for long-distance races, will make the country proud.”

Beyond competition, Alli stressed that road racing in Nigeria holds significant economic potential. He pointed to the growing number of marathon and road race events across cities such as Lagos, Abeokuta, Bayelsa, Abuja and Jos as evidence of expanding interest.

“I think we are almost there,” he said. “All we need to do is create an economic value chain around these events and the commercial impact will be significantly felt.”