The Local Organising Committee for the annual  Obudu international mountain race  says it will test run  the new  12km route marked for the 2014 world championship  with next month’s race at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu,Cross River state.

This  decision, according to Patrick Ugbe,a member of the LOC and Youth and Sports Commissioner in the state is in compliance with Governor Liyel Imoke‘s  order that all rules governing the organisation of the 2014 world championships must be observed in this year’s international mountain race and the African mountain running championships.

“His Excellency wants us to host a world championship that will portray the state and Nigeria in good light and wants ithe LOC to use the international mountain race this year and next to improve our organisational abilities’,says Ugbe adding that the new route marked for the 2014 world championships will be used for this year’s Obudu international mountain race. ‘ The new route was marked a few weeks ago by officials from the  World Mountain Running Association  led by one of its council members from Turkey, Erhan Basoglu”, revealed Ugbe.