Charlie receives a winner’s medal during his 2015 success
February 5, 2016 By Sahr Morris Jr.
Sierra Leonean duo, Osman Charlie and Mustapha Kamara, has left the country’s shores to compete in this year’s Nigeria Marathon in Lagos.
The pair traveled together with Coach AbuBakarr Conteh yesterday ahead of the 6 February road race, which is set to attract over 20,000 athletes, including over 20 world class marathon runners.
President of the Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA), Abdul Karim Sesay, said he was optimistic that the two athletes could prove themselves in the event, especially Charlie, whom he said is no stranger to such competitive contest.
“We are pleased the boys were able to make it and I believe they will make us proud especially Osman Charlie who has had a feel about such competition. I am too confident they can do something well,” Sesay said.
Charlie is one of Sierra Leone’s star marathoners. In April 2014, he won the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) 21 kilometer run which started at Grassfield, Kissy, in the East of Freetown, through the centre of town, on to Wilkinson Road and Lumley Roundabout, before finishing at the Family Kingdom Resort.
In a related development, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, told journalists in Nigeria that the marathon will start at the National Stadium in Lagos and move to Anthony and thereafter Gbagada Road, third Mainland Bridge through Alfred Rewane, to Lekki -Ikoyi Bridge before ending at the Eko Atlantic City.
Elegushi explained that the marathon would commence at 7am and that traffic would be restricted along the marathon route between 6:30am to 1pm, adding that adequate arrangements have been put in place to ensure that security operatives and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) barricade access to the dual carriage way to be affected by the event.