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Francis James, representing Plateau, emerged victorious in the inaugural Zenith Bank Coal City Half Marathon held on Saturday in Enugu. Clocking a time of 1 hour, 12 minutes, and 2 seconds, James claimed the top prize of N1 million.
Ismael Sajo from Cross River secured the second position with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 51 seconds, while Nenfort Mathias, also from Plateau, clinched third place with a time of 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 5 seconds.
In the women's category, Patience Dalyop, another athlete from Plateau, crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 25 minutes, and 51 seconds, securing the first position. Agbofure Charity from Delta came in second with a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes, followed by Munifikat Emmanuel from Plateau in third place.
The runners-up in both the men's and women's categories received prizes of N500,000 and N300,000, respectively.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State expressed his commitment to enhancing the marathon's standards, aiming to elevate it to an international level by 2025. He affirmed the state's readiness to welcome top athletes from across Nigeria and emphasized his administration's support for various sporting endeavors.
Mbah lauded Zenith Bank for its collaboration in fostering sports development in the state. Njideks Aroh, the Zonal Head of Zenith Bank Enugu, commended Governor Mbah for the ongoing infrastructural improvements in Enugu State and reiterated the bank's commitment to partnering with the government in sports development.
Lloyd Ekweremadu, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, expressed gratitude to Zenith Bank for its support and announced a reward of N100,000 for each Enugu State athlete who participated in the marathon. This incentive is intended to encourage more local participation in future competitions and foster a culture of sports excellence among Enugu residents.
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