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The Athletics
Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is ready for the Obudu International
Mountain Race and the second African Nations Mountaining Running
Championships, Maria Worphil, the secretary general of the federation
has said.

The event scheduled
for next month at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu, Cross River state is
the sixth edition of the fast growing mountain race.

“The AFN is ready
to organise the best mountain race ever anywhere in the world when the
sixth edition holds next month in Obudu. We have put all the necessary
logistics in place and the federation is blessed with men and women who
can hold their own in terms of the technical organisations of events of
the magnitude of Obudu mountain race,” Worphil said.

Worphil also said
the AFN has been receiving many entries from fellow African Nations in
respect of the African Nations Mountaining Running Championships.

“We sent out
entries before the start of the recently ended Commonwealth Games and
the response has been very encouraging. What I can guarantee is that we
will have far more nations than the six who participated at the
inaugural edition of the championships last year,” she said.

The race

The Obudu
international mountain race is organised by the Cross River State
government, in conjunction with the Athletic Federation of Nigeria
(AFN). It is supported by the African Athletics Confederation (CAA),
the World Mountain Running Association (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 you 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, apart from the main race, feature activities like 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, 2010.