The Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Charles Kie has commended Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of 10km Okpekpe International Road Race on the recent upgrade of the Road Race to silver Label by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

The bank Managing Director stressed that the elevation does not only lend credence to the standard and popularity of the Race, but also represents a milestone in the development of sports in Nigeria.

According to him, the upgrade further justifies Ecobank’s consistent support to the annual event, because the Okpekpe’s vision of a top quality competition that affords top athletes from across Africa, and the opportunity to compete and socialize ties with the bank’s pan-African posture.

“The bank supports and encourages creativity and excellence among Africans, especially the young people, who are the future of the continent.

“We are delighted to be a strong part of the success story of the Okpekpe Road Race, especially on this latest elevation to the Silver Label Race, which is the first to be so recognised in West Africa”, he explained.

It is worthy of note that the annual Okpekpe international 10km Road Race has had Ecobank Nigeria as its major banking partner.

The Road Race is the first and only road race in Nigeria that has been granted full membership of Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and recognised as one of the prestigious road races in the world.

The 2015 edition had MYLAPS Sports Timing, the internationally recognised automatic sports timing company providing the race with an easy to use, accurate and reliable timing system.

The lender’s boss, with the Group who boasts of employees over 17,000 people in 40 different countries in over 1,200 branches and offices, added that a tracking application to help fans follow the progress of friends, family or any of the participants who ran at the fifth edition of the race was instituted.

“The tracking application was the first to be launched for a road race in Nigeria and offers mobile features designed to address three core digital needs: information delivery, sponsor activation and race day experience”, he said.