Kenyan athletes win maiden ECOWAS-Abuja International Half-Marathon



John Mur and Careen Cheptoeck, both of Kenya, on Saturday in Abuja won the male and female categories respectively at the maiden ECOWAS-Abuja international half-marathon.

Mur finished with a time of 01.04.2.79 to place first in the men’s race, ahead of Ethiopia’s Mawcha Nega who finished about four seconds later.

The Ethiopian had a time of 1:04.06.94 to push into third place Nigeria’s Emmanuel Gyang who returned with a time of 1:04.32.15.

Seven other Nigerians trailed them to pick the fourth to 10th positions in the race which ended at the Old Parade Ground in Area 10.


The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the half-marathon which the organisers said had over 600 participants began from the ECOWAS Secretariat building in Abuja as early as 7am.

The prize money for the winner was 10,000 dollars, with the first runners-up and second runners-up winning 5,000 dollars and 4,000 dollars respectively.

The fourth-place winner got a 3,500 dollars prize, while the fifth-place winner and others down to 10th place got cash prizes ranging from 3,000 dollars down to 1,000 dollars.

In the female category, Careen Cheptoeck of Kenya finished first with a time of 1:14.32.45 ahead of Deborah Pam of Nigeria who placed second with 1:17.15.86.

Olude Fadekemi of Nigeria also finished third with 1:19.11.23, while Ethiopia’s Lensa Daba placed fourth with 1:22.05.50.

Six other Nigerians grabbed the fifth to 10th positions in the race, while special athlete Ezekiel Elisa won the para-athletes race.

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