The 2025 PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon reached a historic milestone on Saturday, 6 December 2025, as it was officially awarded a Bronze label by World Athletics, marking Nigeria’s growing presence in the global road racing arena.
The event, jointly celebrated by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the marathon organisers, featured elite runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Nigeria, who competed from 6:30 a.m.
The race concluded successfully under the stringent global standards required for a World Athletics-labelled event, attracting both top-tier athletes and widespread public participation.
At the medal and awards ceremony, NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade, alongside PremiumTrust Bank Managing Director/CEO Mr. Emanuel Efe Emefienim, race sponsors, Nilayo Sports Management Ltd CEO Mrs. Yetunde Olopade, race promoters, and World Athletics officials, personally congratulated winners and presented prize cheques.
The elite prize purse ranged from US $8,000 for the winner to US $500 for the eighth-place finisher.
Additional awards recognised top Nigerian athletes with cash prizes amounting to millions of Naira.
The NSC described the marathon’s success as a “major step in Nigeria’s athletics roadmap,” highlighting its potential to boost the sports economy, promote sports tourism, and encourage grassroots participation.
The race started at the Abuja Old Parade Ground and concluded at the Velodrome of the Mashood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, leaving organisers and participants optimistic about the future of international road races in the country.
