Gwom, Pam Hold Lagos City Marathon Race Records with Nigeria’s Marathon Regression in Focus
As the Lagos City Marathon approaches, renewed debate has emerged over Nigeria’s marathon legacy and the role of its sporting authorities.
While ongoing publicity has celebrated Gyang Nyango’s 2025 performance of 2:25:41, official race records confirm that Emmanuel Gyang Gwom holds the fastest time by a Nigerian at the Lagos City Marathon, with his 2:25:15 finish in 2020.
On the women’s side, Deborah Pam remains the standout performer, setting the Lagos City Marathon race record for Nigerian women with 2:45:12 in 2020.
She also made history in 2019 by finishing sixth overall in the women’s race with a time of 2:52:59, becoming the first Nigerian to place in the top 10 at the event.
However, Nigeria’s broader marathon story reflects decline rather than progress.
In November 1990, Abbas Mohammed ran a world-class 2:16:06, a mark that still stands today as the national marathon record. At the time, the men’s world record hovered around 2:08, meaning Mohammed’s performance placed him among the global elite road race runners at the time.
More than three decades later, Nigeria has failed to build on that achievement, with no athlete breaking 2:20 or returning comparable times in international road races. As a result, no Nigerian qualifies as a World Athletics ‘elite runner’ under current standards.
Governance concerns have also surfaced. The media office of the National Sports Commission, led by Director General Bukola Olopade, has been used to promote the Lagos City Marathon, a privately organized event, at taxpayers’ expense.
This has sparked criticism that public resources are being diverted to support private initiatives rather than invested in athlete development, training infrastructure, and long-term competitiveness.
As the 2026 edition nears, the spotlight is not only on who will cross the finish line fastest, but also on whether Nigeria can rediscover the ambition once embodied by Abbas Mohammed and whether its sporting authorities can chart a path back to world-class standards in marathon running.
