The 5th edition of the SDD Bayelsa Marathon is set to kick off on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
The competition, which is being organized by the Bayelsa Marathon Club, in conjunction with the state Ministry of Sports Development, is scheduled to start at 7.00a.m.
This is contained in a statement signed by the chairman of the organizing committee, Mr Igbeta Odonkumo Jonathan.
According to the statement, the competition will feature three categories, namely Elite, Teen and Leisure/Plus size (fun run). All three categories have different start points.
The start point for the Elite category, which is a 21km race, is the U-turn by Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel/Total Filling Station, Bayelsa Palm Road, Yenagoa. The 10km Teens category, has Opolo Market Market as its starting point while the 3km Leisure/Plus size fun race will take off from Ekeki Motor Park. The finish point for all three categories is Peace Park, opposite Government House, Ovom, Yenagoa.
The marathon is expected to be a lively one with over 500 athletes participating. The Elite category, which is the flagship race of the competition, has 352 athletes competing while a hundred young boys and girls have registered for the Teens category. Another 100 athletes are billed to vie for honours in the Leisure category.
The prize money for the Elite category is one million Naira while the winner of the Teen category will smile to bank with N500,000 just as the winner in the fun category will be N400,000 richer.
There will be lots of fun at the Peace Park finish point as the organisers have arranged to have music, games, aerobic exercises, comedy, raffle drawing and dance performance with lots of prizes and gifts to be won.
For registration, partnership and sponsorship of the event, the organisers are requesting interested persons to visit their website at www.bayelsamarathon.com.ng.
When asked how prepared the organisers are, chairman of the organizing committee, Igbeta Odonkumo said that they are more than prepared. His words: "we are ready for the annual event. We have crossed the t's and dotted the i's. Everything is in place and we are good to go. We are just waiting for the D-day".
