— To be registered with AFN, says committee

By Dayo Johnson, Akure

Akure came alive as 48 athletes from four states participated in the 2026 Ulefunta Marathon, the second edition of the race organised to kick-start activities for the Ulefunta Festival.

The race began from the Imafon axis and passed through parts of Akure before ending at the palace of the Deji of Akure.

Segun Adekunle emerged winner of the men’s category, with Abiodun Adetiba finishing second and Ayomide Mohammed placing third.

In the women’s category, Miracle Arinde won the race, while Happiness Idowu came second and Gift Bako finished third.

Speaking on the event, Chairman of the Festival Steering Committee, Olu Adekunle Ajanaku, said the marathon was introduced to complement the palace’s annual Owa Oropo Marathon while promoting unity and discovering sporting talents.

“This is the second edition. There was no edition in 2024 and 2025. With 48 participants, it is above average,” he said.

Ajanaku said the organisers aimed to make the marathon a major sporting opening for the week-long festival and attract sponsors by expanding its reach beyond Ondo State.

He disclosed that plans were underway to register the marathon with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

According to him, the participants came from Kwara, Kogi and Osun states, as well as various local government areas in Ondo State.

He described the turnout as “good enough and above average”, adding that the organisers would continue to improve the event.

The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, commended the organisers for successfully staging the marathon and announced cash rewards for all participants.

Oba Aladelusi praised the organisers for overcoming the challenges associated with the event and promised that next year’s edition would be “bigger and grander”.

The traditional Owa Oropo Marathon is scheduled to hold from Sunday to Tuesday as part of activities lined up for the festival.