Zigah wins Milo marathon again

David Zigah, a 25 year old photographer and winner of the previous two Accra Milo Marathons on Saturday enhanced his personal pedigree as being the first runner to have won the 16-year old race for three consecutive times.

He led a pack of 1,500 athletes over a distance of 42.2 kilometres from The Point, Nungua, through some principal streets in the capital on Saturday, to the Dansoman Keep-fit grounds.

The race as usual, was spiced with some foreign athletes notably from neighbouring Togo and the United States and some famous Ghanaian professional boxers including Rasta-haired Charles Adamu. Zigah took a commanding lead from start until 100 meters to brace the finishing tape. He was given a rare test of a hard fought victory when his closest pal Joseph Agbassey overtook him to set the stage for a blazing finish.

Cheered on by his loyal motor-riding fans that had guarded him from start, Zigah brought his experience to bear, as he regained his composure to capture the top slot to brace the tape in two hours 34 minutes and 32 seconds, 24 seconds faster than his rival.

He joins Millicent Boadi, a 20-year-old unemployed, who won the ladies event to participate in this year's November Amsterdam Marathon with 1000 dollars spending money each. As part of their prizes, KLM, co-sponsors of the land mark event, presented a return trip ticket to enable them participate in the events, the first in the history of the marathon event put together by the Dansoman Keep-fit Club with Nestle Ghana Limited, the main sponsors.

The first and second runners-ups in both the male and female divisions took home 1.5 million cedis and 1,000 cedis respectively and some products from Milo.

Veteran Timothy Mandela, placed third in the male event with a time of 2:37:20 while Faustian Yankson, 15 and Gladys Adomah, 29, finished second and third respectively in the ladies division.

The day did not end without a drama. Young Daniel Ayisi who won the male under-15 event was disqualified for a forged age. Organisers said he was over the set age limit and did not have indelible ink on his fingernails, which made him legible to participate.

The boy later told the GNA Sports that he arrived late at the starting point and could not have the indelible ink adding that an official had told him that he could participate.

He expressed his disgust at the decision to stripe him of the honour. The runner up Yahaya Awuni, a 13-year pupil from the Upper East Region, was adjudged the winner, after clocking 1:02:19. Gyetteh Sam and Adam Badam followed him closely.

Botsor Solim, 14, from the Volta Region, won the girls' under-15 event while Patricia Essuman and Avorgam Mary both from the Central Region placed second and third respectively.

The winners in the U-15 events were given 600,000 cedis bursary each; exercise books and bags, while the runner up went home with 500,000 cedis and 400,000 cedis each plus products from Milo and exercise books.

Prizes were also given to the youngest runners in both the girls and boys U-15 events and the oldest runners. Jawel Colin, 5, and Enam Binortsor, 9, represented the boys and girls division while 52-year-old Charles Mensah and 57-year-old Nathaniel Akrong were honoured as winners in the "oldies" division. Computers were also presented to the Jasikan Roman Catholic Junior Secondary School (JSS), Bawku JSS and Kpandai JSS from where the first three winners in the girls' events came.