Aminat Alabi Makes History at Lagos Women Run
Aminat Alabi, a proud product of Osheku Striders Athletics Club, etched her name into the history books as the first Lagos-based athlete to win the Lagos Women Run, triumphing in the 10th anniversary edition of the race.
Raised in a military barracks in Lagos, Alabi completed the race in an impressive 39 minutes and 25 seconds, breaking a long-standing dominance by long distance runners from northern Nigeria, particularly Plateau State.
The race has previously been won three times by Joy Abiye of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
In this year’s edition, 19-year-old Vivian Obadiah from Plateau State finished second with a time of 39 minutes and 55 seconds, while veteran runner Elizabeth Bawa, also from Plateau, came third in 40 minutes and 41 seconds.
Alabi admitted she hadn’t expected to win, given the formidable reputation of her northern counterparts.
‘First of all, I want to thank Almighty God for giving me this day because I was so afraid,’ she said. ‘I didn’t believe I was going to win. I was scared of competing against marathoners from the north, but I stayed consistent in training. I only wished to finish among the first three, thinking I couldn’t match those already well-known in the race.’
She credited her coach for playing a pivotal role in her success.
‘My coach played a vital role in my achievement. He gave me advice and kept assuring me I’d finish among the top three. I trained even at 2am sometimes, and during the day too. It was tough achieving this feat, given my background.’
Alabi also spoke about the personal challenges she overcame, particularly as a mother. “Throughout my journey, I faced many challenges, especially raising my two-year-old son, who also motivated me to succeed. The routine to reach this point has been hard, but I can say the sacrifice has been worth it all.’
The top three finishers in the landmark 10th edition of the Lagos Women Run received prize money of ₦2 million, ₦1.5 million, and ₦1 million respectively.
