The Cross River State Tourism Bureau on Saturday, October 31, 2026, held the fourth edition of the annual Calabar Marathon with the theme “Run with Conscience Against Poverty”, in a colourful event that drew close to 2,000 athletes and fun runners to the streets of Calabar.
The race, which has grown to become a major curtain-raiser for the annual Carnival Calabar, was flagged off by Governor Bassey Otu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Dr. Agnes Atsu.
Governor Otu said the theme was more than a slogan, but the soul of his administration’s ‘People-First’ agenda. According to him, the marathon is a symbolic war against poverty and a reminder that the government must remain accountable to the people.
Speaking to newsmen during the marathon, the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. John Atsu, said the event was deliberately designed to raise public awareness on the impact of poverty while building a world-class race that discovers and develops local talent.
“We’re saying, as we do this marathon this year, let us be conscious of the impact of poverty in our spaces, in our communities, in Cross River State,” Atsu said. “We intend to build this into a truly world-class event that belongs and is retained in Cross River State.”
The 21.1-kilometre half-marathon professional race started and finished at the Marina Leisure Resort, following the Carnival Calabar route. The race also featured a 10-kilometre fun run and a 5-kilometre charity and fitness walk for NGOs, fitness enthusiasts and members of tourism clusters in the state.
The 2026 edition was dominated by young talents from within and outside the state, underscoring the Bureau’s talent-harvesting objective.
19-year-old Iliya Raymond and 16-year-old Mary Bulus Jah, both from Plateau State, emerged winners of the male and female categories respectively. Raymond crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 6 minutes and 31.2 seconds, while Mary finished in 1 hour, 18 minutes and 54 seconds. Both went home with the star prize of N1.2 million each.
Plateau State also took second position in the men’s category through 20-year-old Badung Emmanuel Davon, who finished in 1 hour, 28 minutes and 7.8 seconds to earn N700,000.
According to the Project Manager, Mr. Charles Ada, over N7 million was up for grabs. In the national/international category, first place winners received N1.2 million, second place N700,000 and third place N400,000 for both male and female divisions, a more than 20% increase from last year.
To encourage local participation, the organisers introduced a special indigenous category for Cross River athletes. First-place indigenous winners received N500,000 each, second-place N300,000 and third-place N200,000. In total, 28 prizes were awarded, with the first 28 finishers also receiving N50,000 each as transportation support.
The race enjoyed technical support from the Nigeria Association of Athletics Technical Officials (NAATO), with State Chairman Dr. Victor Oyama Nzan assuring of professional officiating and strict medical screening for athletes.
The event was preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of the late former Managing Director of the Tourism Bureau, Prince Ojoi Ekpenyong, who enabled the launch of the marathon in its early years.
Commissioner for Tourism, Obi Ayuk, commended the Tourism Bureau for sustaining the event and strengthening tourism through sports. The Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Agnes Atsu, described it as the perfect opener for the 2026 Calabar Festival, revealing that massive renovation was ongoing at the Calabar Golf Club ahead of the Governor’s Golf Tour.
Mr. Atsu disclosed that preparations for the 2027 edition would begin immediately, while also revealing plans to resuscitate the Obudu International Mountain Race in November 2027.
Stakeholders described the fourth edition as the biggest yet, with about 800 athletes officially screened from close to 2,000 registrations, and an impressive turnout of residents along the Millennium Park, Mary Slessor, Marian, MCC, Highway and Marina Resort routes.
