Winners of 7th Edition of Bonny Island Marathon Announced

Record Participation Marks a Thrilling 2024 Edition Bonny Island, Nigeria — December 14, 2024:

The 7th edition of the Bonny Island Marathon themed #OwnYourLegacy, concluded in spectacular fashion, with up to 17% women and 16% teen participation, marking its most inclusive edition yet.

Spotlight on Winners and Records The event was historic as MUSA BALA (Plateau State, Nigeria) emerged the Elite Male Category Winner, setting a new course record with an incredible finish time of 55 minutes 11
seconds, shattering the previous record of 55:19 held by Alliyu Abdullahi Muhammed for the 15 Kilometre race. This triumph earned Musa Bala a ₦500,000 cash prize.

Elite Female Champion CHARITY AGOFURE (Delta State, Nigeria) crossed the line in 1 hour 6 minutes 15 seconds, securing victory and the ₦500,000 prize.

Among teens, TAMUNOSA JACKWILSON PEPPLE (Rivers State) and MIRACLE AFANGIDEH (Akwa Ibom) dominated the Teen Male and Teen Female Categories. The teens category which returned for the third year signifies a strong commitment to the catch them young initiative by the Bonny island Marathon to encourage young promising talents venturing into athletics.

Indigenous Glory: NENGIYE WILCOX (Male) and GLORIA HART (Female) proudly clinched the Indigenous Winner titles, with Gloria also securing a podium finish in the Elite Female Category. Nengi Wilcox retained the Male title as the fasted Runner in Bonny being the Winner for 2023.

Top Results by Category Elite Male Winners:

1. Musa Bala (Plateau State) – 55:11
2. Nkeki Maina Yakubu (Borno State) – 55:19
3. Idrissou Agani (Benin Republic) – 55:27

Elite Female Winners:
1. Charity Agofure (Delta State) – 1:06:15
2. Promise Isah (Rivers State) – 1:32:04
3. Gloria Hart (Rivers State) – 1:35:59

Teen Male Winners (5KM)
1. Tamunosa Jackwilson Pepple
2. Hanson Jumbo
3. Osaro Peter

Teen Female Winners (5KM):
1. Miracle Afangideh
2. Abigail Ozuomba
3. Josephina Joseph

Participation and Highlights:

● Recurrent Runners: Over 30% of participants were returning competitors, showcasing the marathon's growing popularity. 

● Diverse Representation: 33 Nigerian states accounted for 98% of participants, while 2% comprised international participants across elite and leisure categories.

● Most Decorated Participant: Yakubu Maina (Borno State) made history with the most
podium finishes to date with 6 finishes accumulated across the three possible podium positions.

“This year’s marathon showcased the best of our community and runners’ resilience. We are
proud of the records broken and the growing legacy of the Bonny Island Marathon. Next year, we are looking forward to a label status and more participation that would be facilitated by the completion and opening of the Bonny-Bodo road, opening the Island to the world via road,” said Boma Halliday, Race Director.