Olopade, Emefienim plan big for Premium Trust Bank Abuja Half Marathon

As the April 20, 2024 date for the first edition of the Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon draws near, the brilliant thing about the upcoming event is that the chieftain of the organizing company, Chief Bukola Olopade and the Chief Executive Officer of the sponsors, Premium Trust Bank, Chief Emmanuel Emefienim, have great plans to take the international Half Marathon to the next level in the nearest future.

Both Olopade and Emefienim, want to contribute everything necessary to organise the first edition scheduled for Saturday, April 20. And they want to do this with the biggest hope that, after the first edition, it will become a Bronze Label race with the acknowledgement of the World Athletics.

The duo have great plans to make the April 20 Half Marathon an unforgettable event, with all the trappings of a world-class race.

Speaking on the dynamics of the Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon, Emefienim said, the plans of his management team is to have an event that would be a benchmark in Nigeria when the issue is international Marathon races.

He noted that, what the management of Premium Trust Bank is planning to have with the management of Nilayo Sports Ltd is to have the best organised marathon race in Africa and around the world.

Emefienim added: “We value our collaboration with Nilayo Sports Management; “We want the Half Marathon race to become a global phenomenon.

“We will provide all necessary support to the organisers of the event and are ready to support the upliftment of the tourney to a label status after this first deployment,” said Emefienim.

The Managing Director, Nilayo Sports Limited, Chief Bukola Olopade, stressed that, the presence of World Athletics officials have been confirmed. They will closely monitor the race and reconfirm the world’s best practices that would enable a prompt approval process that would ensure the expected upgrade which would uplift the Label status just after the first edition.

Olopade stressed: “We are very much hopeful that the Premium Trust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon will break the record as one of the few races across the world that was given label status after the first edition.

He added: “This requires great work to be done, and it is something we know how to do best. Abuja has some of the fastest and beautiful routes in the world.