Calabar Marathon offers N1.2m prize, N50k transport support

The 2026 Calabar Marathon will offer indigenous athletes a separate prize pool, with organisers setting aside cash rewards to encourage local participation and develop emerging running talents in Cross River State.
The Project Manager, Charles Ada, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Calabar, announcing that male and female winners in the indigenous category would each receive N500,000.
The second-place finishers will receive N300,000 each, while third-place winners will get N200,000 each.
Ada said the initiative was designed to give athletes from Cross River an opportunity to compete and improve their performance alongside runners from other parts of Nigeria and abroad.
In the national and international category, winners in both the male and female divisions will receive N1.2m each. Second-place finishers will get N700,000, while third-place winners will receive N400,000 each.
The organisers have also provided 28 cash prizes, with eligible runners finishing within the first 28 positions to receive N50,000 each as transport support.
The marathon, themed “Run for Conscience Against Poverty”, will feature three events: a 21.1-kilometre professional race, a 10-kilometre fun run and a five-kilometre charity and fitness walk for non-governmental organisations and other participants.
The Managing Director and Chairman of the organising team, John Atsu, said the organisers were working with technical partners to improve the competition and raise its international profile.
He said the race route had been assessed and measured by technical officials, while arrangements had been made to handle medical emergencies and protect participants and spectators.
Atsu added that the event had received support from organisations, including MTN Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.
Beyond the sporting competition, Ada said the organisers planned to engage schools, sports clubs and communities through outreach activities linked to the marathon's poverty-focused theme.
He said the influx of athletes, visitors and spectators was also expected to create business opportunities for traders and small-scale entrepreneurs in Calabar.
Representing the Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police Adewalehinmi Joshua assured participants and visitors of adequate security during the event.