Nigeria Content Online

Bruno Gozzelino,
the president of the World Mountain Running Association has said
Nigeria is likely to host one of the biggest outdoor running event in
the next few years.

Gozzelino said this
in Calabar at the weekend. According to him, the Obudu Ranch Resort,
venue of the annual Obudu International Mountain Race, is good enough
to host the federation’s flagship event – the World Mountain Running
Championships.

Conditions

Gozzelino believes
the organisers of the race in Nigeria have also shown a mastery of the
sport and only a few things need to be improved upon.

“I strongly believe
that the Obudu Ranch Resort has a good chance of staging the biggest
competition in our calendar, the World Mountain Running Championships,”
said the Italian.

“In my opinion only
two areas need to be adjusted for the competition to come to Nigeria
and they are the travel arrangements for participants and the terrain
of the Ranch.

“In terms of
travel, I think the Local Organising Committee for the international
mountain race has been doing a perfect job. What the WMRA will only
require is a guarantee and days for accommodation increased to at least
five days.

“As you all know, a
world championships involves a minimum of 500 people around the world
and that is only speaking about athletes and coaches. We still have the
fans, the media and the invited guests.

“So the LOC only
needs to increase the number of rooms and make arrangements for easy
transfer from Lagos to Calabar before the road trip to Obudu.”

Obudu race

The Obudu
Iinternational Mountain Race is organised by the Cross River State
Government, in conjunction with the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.

It enjoys
tremendous support from the African Athletics Confederation(CAA), the
WMRA and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The race covers a
distance of 11 kilometres uphill to an altitude of 1,575 metres above
sea level, taking athletes to one of the finest tourist destinations in
the world, the Obudu Mountain Resort.

This year’s race,
which has been confirmed for the last week of November, will feature
aside the main race such activities as a Doping in Sports Seminar, the
Media Race, Children’s Race, and a Gala Night/Fireworks.

The main race will flag-off alongside the African Championship at 8.00 a.m on Saturday, November 27.