The road from the base to the 1600m plateau which serves as the route of the mountain race, with Obudu Ranch at its top (© c)
The second edition of the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race in Cross River State, Nigeria, will take place on Saturday 25 November, when Jonathan Wyatt’s theory* that "African runners’ long flowing style is not naturally suited to running up and down hills” will be put to the test.
This weekend’s race, the richest in this multi-terrain discipline’s annual calendar, will see the world’s top mountain runners clash with several fast Africans for the valuable winner’s prize of US$50,000, a runner’s up prize of US$20,000, with third place taking $10,000. Prize values then drop in US$1000 intervals down to 8th place. There is the same prize structure for both men and women.
*Click here to go to the Jonathan Wyatt feature story
The race is the brainchild of the governor of Cross River State (Nigeria), His Excellency Donald Duke who is underwriting the cost of the event. The Obudu Ranch Resort is one of his flagship projects to attract tourists to this remote yet beautiful region of Nigeria close to the border with Cameroon. The Obudu Ranch sits on a mountain plateau at an altitude of 1600m where extensive new tourist accommodation has been built. Although there is a road from the base to the plateau which serves as the route of the mountain race, others not so keen on such exercise can travel from bottom to top by cable car - a state of the art Austrian construction completed last year - which provides spectacular views. A new swimming complex has been installed at the venue which, situated as it is in rural Nigeria, has to be seen to be believed.
MEN
Wyatt, five times World champion and as such a New Zealand mountain running legend, will renew his rivalry with the new World mountain running champion, Rolando Ortiz (COL), and four-times champion Marco de Gasperi (ITA).
However, of great interest will be how the Africans from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Eritrea, Cameroon, Rwanda, and South Africa fare against the recognised mountain runners.
Tesfayohonnes Mesfin (ERI) already has experience of mountain running when he was second to Wyatt in the 2004 World Trophy. His ninth position in this year’s World Cross Country Championships in Japan confirms that he is in fine condition to make a serious challenge. Also on the starting line will be Solomon Busendich (KEN) who recently won the Amsterdam marathon in 2:08:52, and Francis Kibiwot (KEN), who has a 60:29 PB this year for the half marathon.
WOMEN
The African women will face experienced mountain runners from Europe. Anna Pichrtova (CZE) who is the current European champion, and Andrea Mayr (AUT) the reigning World champion, who will also be challenged by top mountain runners from Hungary, Poland, Norway, New Zealand, and USA.
The race is an IAAF permit event, organised by the LOC of Cross River State, assisted by the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.
Danny Hughes for the IAAF
