Winner of the First prize in the female category of the 10km Okpekpe race, Mudi Ayila of Ethipia, with time of 32.41 displays her dummy cheque at the 2nd edition of the 10km Okpekpe race in Edo State, Sturday.

Ethiopian duo of Teshome Asafan and Wuday Ayalew emerged the men and women’s   champions at the 2nd Okpekpe 10km road race last Saturday in Okpekpe, Edo state.

Asafan broke Moses Masai of Kenya’s 29 minutes,49 seconds one year old course record with the race’s first sub 29 minutes performance, 28 minutes .36 seconds to win the men’s title and the accompanying USD$ 25,000 cash prize.

He raced home first ahead of Kenyan duo of Amos Mitel (28 minutes,53 seconds) and Cornenius Kangogo (29 minutes,01 seconds) who came second and third respectively.

Ismael Yero of Cross River state came in 10th in 31 minutes,18 seconds to emerge the fastest Nigerian man at the race. He got N100,000 for his effort. Lawrence Osheku also received N100,000 for emerging Edo State’s fastest man. It was however a clean Ethiopian sweep in the women’s category as Ayalew,former Obudu mountain race champions,Genet Yalew and Berhane Dibaba emerged the top three podium finishers.

Ayalew ran 32 minutes,41 seconds to race home first to collect USD$ 25,000 made possible by Edo state governor,Adams Oshiomhole who added $10,000 to increase the top prize on offer from $15,000 to $25,000.   Compatriots Yalew,the 2012 Obudu mountain race winner and Dibaba placed second and third respectively. Deborah Pam emerged for the second successive year the fastest (38 minutes,06 seconds) Nigerian woman at the race. She placed 10th in the race. Edo state governor Adams Oshiomhole competed in the VIP race alongside Nigeria Labour Congress vice president Comrade Isa Aremu and Raufu Ladipo,President-General of Nigerian Football and other sports supporters club.

Okpekpe race director Yusuf Ali was excited by the performance of the elite athletes.

‘I think the race can only get better judging by what happened here today. We have two athletes running a sub 29 minutes while the top seven finishers in the men’s race all bettered Masai’s winning time of last year,”said a delighted Ali,a former Nigeria and African long jump champion and record holder.