Lagos Hosts 11th Access Bank City Marathon
By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa
The 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon officially kicked off on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
The prestigious 42km race commenced at 6:30 am from Eko Atlantic City, while a shorter 10km race followed later in the morning from Lekki.
Elite athletes from across the globe are competing for a top prize of $50,000 in the main category. Local Nigerian runners are also being incentivized, with the first-place winner in the national elite category set to receive ₦2,000,000.
The event is currently classified as a Gold Label race by World Athletics. Organizers, in partnership with the Lagos State Government, are using this edition to push for an upgrade to Platinum Label status, a distinction held by only 16 races worldwide.
To ensure the safety of participants, the state government implemented significant traffic diversions across major routes. Several roads and intersections along the race corridors in Victoria Island and Lekki were closed to motorists from
midnight until mid-day.
Security agencies and traffic management officials were deployed in large numbers to man the affected areas. Residents and motorists were urged to cooperate with authorities as the city hosted one of Africa’s most significant road running events.
