By Ben Efe 24.9.2026
The 2026 Olojo Festival 5km Road race was successfully concluded Thursday morning with Davin Sunday Gyan and Ronke Akanbi taking the top prizes in men and women categories respectively under a friendly Ile-Ife atmosphere.
In the men’s race Sunday Gyan was pushed all the way to the finish line by Boy James Giang, but Gyan just managed to hold on to clock it 11.08.63 secs, Giang finished at 11.09.06. Veteran Nigerian distance runner Raymond Illia held on to the third position with 11.17.90 secs.
Ronke Akanbi one of Nigeria’s up and coming distance runners and 3000m national record holder with 9.17.01 secs had no such problems in the women’s race, where she owned her competitors with a time of 12.03.22 seconds to smile home with the top price of N1m which was instantly wired to her account.
Alabi Aminat was second with 12.40.19 seconds while Boluwatife Ayinde came third with 12.54.04secs.
Speaking on the outcome of the race Sooko Adeleke Odewade the Chief Waziri of Ile-Ife who alongside the Aladefa sports family promote the race, said: “The second edition of the Olojo Festival 5km Road race has been so successful and we are glad about the outcome.
“It is a road race we organise for our youths and younger ones; we want them to be part of what is going on in the world. Sports is an industry and our youths can also make the best out of it.
“We are engaging the youths, so that they can be discovered, trained and refocus their energy. There are so many of them who are very talented, but do not know they have talents. So, we are helping them to discover themselves, and those that are good among them we can organise training facilities and get good coaches so that these youths can turn out to be great athletes.”
In the men’s race Sunday Gyan was pushed all the way to the finish line by Boy James Giang, but Gyan just managed to hold on to clock it 11.08.63 secs, Giang finished at 11.09.06. Veteran Nigerian distance runner Raymond Illia held on to the third position with 11.17.90 secs.
Ronke Akanbi one of Nigeria’s up and coming distance runners and 3000m national record holder with 9.17.01 secs had no such problems in the women’s race, where she owned her competitors with a time of 12.03.22 seconds to smile home with the top price of N1m which was instantly wired to her account.
Alabi Aminat was second with 12.40.19 seconds while Boluwatife Ayinde came third with 12.54.04secs.
Speaking on the outcome of the race Sooko Adeleke Odewade the Chief Waziri of Ile-Ife who alongside the Aladefa sports family promote the race, said: “The second edition of the Olojo Festival 5km Road race has been so successful and we are glad about the outcome.
“It is a road race we organise for our youths and younger ones; we want them to be part of what is going on in the world. Sports is an industry and our youths can also make the best out of it.
“We are engaging the youths, so that they can be discovered, trained and refocus their energy. There are so many of them who are very talented, but do not know they have talents. So, we are helping them to discover themselves, and those that are good among them we can organise training facilities and get good coaches so that these youths can turn out to be great athletes.”