Lagosian Aminat Alabi has made history emerging the winner of the Lagos Women Run at its 10th anniversary edition.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Alabi, who grew up in a military barracks in Lagos, finished the race in 39 minutes and 25 seconds.
The competition had long been dominated by long-distance runners from northern Nigeria, particularly those from Plateau.
Joy Abiye of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had previously won the race three times.
For the 2025 edition, 19-year-old Vivian Obadiah from Plateau came second in 39 minutes, 55 seconds, while veteran runner Elizabeth Bawa, also from Plateau, placed third in 40 minutes, 41 seconds.
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Alabi said she never expected to win, given the stiff competition from runners from the northern part of the country who had dominated the race in previous years.
“First of all, I want to thank Almighty God for giving me this day because I was so afraid.
“I didn’t believe I was going to win. I was scared of competing against marathoners from the north, but I stayed consistent in training.
“I only wished to finish among the first three, thinking I couldn’t match those already well-known in the race,” she said.
Alabi credited her coach for pushing her to success.
Her words: “My coach played a vital role in my achievement. He gave me advice and kept assuring me I’d finish among the top three.
“I trained even at 2 a.m. sometimes, and during the day too. It was tough achieving this feat, given my background.
“Throughout my journey, I faced many challenges, especially raising my two-year-old son, who also motivated me to succeed. “The routine to reach this point has been hard, but I can say the sacrifice has been worth it all.”
Lekan Fatodu, Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, praised the organisers for a decade of consistency.
“It’s been a remarkable journey. A decade of experiences, exploits, and opportunities, building community cohesion and promoting sporting development.
“We must commend the organisers for their resilience and for consistently producing new talent and stars in athletics,” he said.
Fatodu added that Alabi’s victory reflects the bright sporting future of Lagos State.
He said: “This win gives us insight into the opportunities that lie ahead.
“It complements our recent success at the National Youth Games, where a 14-year-old boy from Lagos won the 200 metres event.
“I assure you that Lagos State will continue using platforms like this to discover more young athletes.”
The Coordinator of the Lagos Women Run, Temitope Popoola, said the event had provided life-changing opportunities for women.
“The race has empowered many women, promoting well-being, creating networking opportunities, and encouraging economic and social growth.
“We also encourage women to prioritise their health, because we believe a healthy woman builds healthy families and a healthy nation,” Popoola said.
NAN reports that the winners of the 10th edition received N2 million, N1.5 million, and N1 million, respectively. NAN
