27 November 2008
Lagos — As many as 48 out of the 55 elite athletes confirmed for Saturday's fourth Obudu international mountain race arrived Calabar, the capital of Cross River State yesterday afternoon aboard an Arik airliner flight from Lagos.
They were accompanied by William Archibong, the chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the race.They were received by other members of the committee at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport before undergoing accreditation.
Top on the list of the elite athletes who will be moving today to the Obudu Ranch Resort, include reigning men and women world mountain race champion, Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand and Andrea Mayr of Austria.
The defending male champion, Awash Fikadu of Ethiopia is also among the elite athletes already in town. The women's defending champion, Rita Jeptoo Sitinei will however not be around to defend the title she won last year at the third edition of the race due to ill health.
She will not be sorely missed as 2008 IAAF World Cross Country silver medallist Mestawet Tufa Demisse and 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon silver medallist, Aselefech Merga Medessa, both of Ethiopia will be the cynosure of all eyes in the women's category when the race is flagged off by Cross River Governor, Liyel Imoke.
Both on-form athletes are also in town for the race and their talent for competing on the 11.25km Obudu course which climbs steadily for 800m will be tested by the experienced 2008 World Mountain Running Champion, Andrea Mayr of Austria. Also competing will be Kedir Rehima (ETH) who won in a time of 53.26 in 2006.
Leading the men's charge is Jonathan Wyatt, six times and current World Mountain Running Champion. He will be severely tested by Kenyan, Ethiopian, Tanzanian, and Ugandan athletes. Leading the challenge will be Olympian, Geoffrey Kusuro of Uganda, a past Junior World running champion and runner up in Obudu last year. Martin Toroitich also of Uganda who was relegated to silver medal position in this year's World Mountain Running Championship by Wyatt will be looking to reverse the tables.
The Obudu international mountain race, according to its organisers remains the world's richest mountain race and it is a tag richly justified.
What with a prize list from first to tenth positions of $50,000; $15,000, $9,000 down to $2,000. The women will receive exactly the same prize money as the men.
The race is an IAAF permit event, a WMRA associate member event, and is organised by the LOC of Cross River State, assisted by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria. Doping control will be carried out and prizes with held pending the results.
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