By: Joe Ephraim, Calabàr
The 2026 Calabar Marathon will leverage sports to promote local athletic talents, encourage community participation and raise awareness of poverty, the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, John Atsu, has said.
Atsu said the fourth edition of the marathon, scheduled for October 31, would provide opportunities for young athletes to showcase their abilities while encouragingly collective action against poverty.
He spoke on Monday in Calabar during a media briefing ahead of the event, themed “Run for Conscience Against Poverty.”
According to him, the theme underscores the need for individuals and communities to recognise the effects of poverty and embrace responsible use of available resources to improve livelihoods.
Atsu said the Tourism Bureau was committed to improving the event annually and developing it into a world-class sporting competition capable of attracting athletes and visitors to Cross River State.
“We intend to make the marathon even better than last year and build from here until we have a truly world-class event that belongs and is retained in Cross River State,” he said.
The Project Manager of the Calabar Marathon, Charles Ada, said the organisers had introduced a dedicated prize category for indigenous Cross River athletes to strengthen grassroots participation and reward local talent.
Under the arrangement, the first-place male and female indigenous athletes will each receive N500,000, while the second-place finishers will get N300,000 each and third-place winners N200,000 each.
Ada explained that the initiative was introduced in response to concerns that athletes from outside the state had dominated the major prize positions in previous editions, limiting opportunities for local competitors.
He said the competition had continued to expose young athletes from communities such as Bakassi and Obudu to competition with elite runners from other parts of Nigeria and abroad.
For the national and international categories, Ada said the male and female winners would each receive N1.2 million, with N700,000 for each second-place finisher and N400,000 for each third-place winner.
He added that 28 prizes would be presented across the various categories, while the first 28 athletes to cross the finish line would receive an additional N50,000 each as transportation support.
The marathon will feature a 21.1-kilometre professional race, a 10-kilometre fun run and a five-kilometre charity and fitness walk.
According to Ada, the professional race will attract competitive athletes, while the shorter events will accommodate recreational runners, fitness enthusiasts, non-governmental organisations and groups involved in community development
He said the race would start and finish at Marina Leisure Resort, following the Carnival Calabar route, which athletics officials had measured at 21.1 kilometres. The prize-giving ceremony will also take place at the resort after the competition.
Ada said the organisers were collaborating with NGOs and other partners to extend the marathon’s benefits beyond the sporting event through initiatives targeting communities, schools and sports clubs.
He explained that the broader objective was to use sports to discover young talents, support youth development and promote community engagement.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Obi Ayuk, commended the organisers for sustaining the competition and praised the collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Bureau.
Stakeholders, including the Nigeria Association of Athletics Technical Officials (NAATO), the Nigeria Police Force and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), also pledged support for the event.
Representing the Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Adewalehinmi Joshua, assured athletes and visitors of adequate security throughout the marathon.
The state chairman of NAATO, Dr Victor Eyam, said technical officials were prepared to ensure the proper conduct of the race. He, however, urged the organisers to strengthen medical arrangements and ensure that participating athletes were adequately screened to reduce the risk of medical emergencies.
The Acting State Lead of AHF, Pharm. Franklyn Lumenze, said the organisation would provide HIV testing, prevention awareness, referral services and other support during the event.
A former NAATO chairman, Dr Paul Ebiala, commended the organisers for sustaining the marathon for four consecutive years.
The event is expected to bring together local and international athletes, young talents, fitness enthusiasts, NGOs and other stakeholders, with organisers seeking to combine sporting competition with talent development and poverty awareness.
