Former International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Cross Country champion, Joseph Ebuya of Kenya is out of Saturday’s 2nd Okpekpe 10km road race.

Ebuya who won the senior men’s title at the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Champion-ships in Bydgoszcz, Poland copped an injury in training and will be unavailable for the world acclaimed race in Okpkepke,Edo state.

Joseph Ebuya

‘I am sorry to have to inform you that Joseph Ebuya has suffered a setback in training and so will not be able to participate in the Okpekpe 10k (race) this weekend.Apologies for the inconve-nience,’’wrote Michael Skinner,the athlete’s representative in an e-mail message dated Monday April 28,2014 and addressed to Yusuf Ali,the Okpekpe race manager.

Ali who is a former Nigeria and Africa’s long jump champion has however assured that Ebuya’s confirmed absence will not take the shine off Saturday’s race.

“The quality of the elite cast is probably the best you can get in any road race in the world. We have some of the top road runners coming for this race,”said Ali who was also a former African record holder in the long jump.

Ali also revealed that all arrangements have been concluded for a very successful race on Saturday.                   ‘We are ready to host another world class event ,”assures Ali.

The Okpekpe 10km road race is one of the highest paying 10km road race in the world and the biggest in Africa. It has a prize money purse of over $118,000 with the highest prize of $25,000 going to the first male finisher. Kenya’s Moses Masai won the inaugural edition last year.