This year’s Accra Milo Marathon is expected to register record figures in participation for both the mass sports and Under-15 categories.
With two more days for registration to end, many more participants are invading the various registration centres in order to be part of the country’s biggest one-day sporting event on Saturday.
Yesterday the Graphic visited a number of registration centres in Accra and it was evident that after 16 successive competitions, the Milo Marathon’s popularity keeps growing, especially among the younger generation.
At the time of yesterday’s visit, nearly 500 adult runners had registered at the Dansoman Keep Fit Club grounds, the finishing point for both the 42km and 15km races.
The enthusiasm of the Under-15 event was even greater. At the Dansoman Cluster of Schools, the number of registered children had almost hit the 600 mark at the time of our visit.
Mr Frederick Mensah, the registration officer, told the Graphic that the number of registered runners would have been higher, but for a delay in the dispatch of registration forms.
Among the enthusiastic youngsters registered were a five-year-old girl and five-year-old boys. Each child paid a registration fee of ?5,000 while those competiting in the mass sports paid ?10,000 for registration. There were similar high responses at the Kinbu and Awudome Cluster of Schools, designated registration centres for the Under-15 event.
The number of registered runners was equally significant at the Harmony House at Kaneshie. Mr Charles Ampartey, the registration officer, indicated that about 200 runners had registered by noon the previous day and the remaining forms were expected to run out before Friday’s deadline. This year, Nestle Ghana Limited, sponsors of the event, anticipated a large turnout and therefore supplied more forms.
But that intervention notwithstanding, it looks like no fewer than 1000 youngsters and a greater number of adults will hit the major streets of Accra from The Point at Nungua to Dansoman for both the sheer thrill of participation and also to compete for mouth-watering prizes at stake.
The men and women’s winners of the 42.2 km race will each have the chance to participate in next year’s Amsterdam Marathon and will be given Milo products and trophies for keeps and $1,000 spending money in Amsterdam.
The winners of the Under-15 event will each be given ?800,000 school bursary, trophies for keeps and Milo products.
