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The Mayor of Accra, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, has said the upcoming Millennium Marathon will be of immense importance to the nation as it brings along numerous economic benefits and international recognition.

He said the marathon, which is scheduled for September 5, would provide lots of businesses for entrepreneurs in the country.

“There is business in hosting the marathon for entrepreneurs as the city will be expecting between 3,000 to 4,000 visitors during the event,” he said.

The mayor made this remark when the Managing Director of Airtel Ghana, Ms Lucy Quist, paid a visit to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to announce the company’s intention to sponsor the event.

Airtel is supporting the Millennium Marathon Sports Ltd, as a title sponsor and as part of its commitment and drive towards the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the development of sports activities in Ghana.

Miss Quist said its corporate social responsibility called to action, ‘Make Your Change” resonated with this year’s Marathon theme “Run the change in You” as they both inspired people to unleash their potential while instilling a healthy lifestyle in all participants.

The marathon, which will become an annual event, will be held in two phases, with the first phase comprising nine regional marathons in each regional capital.
Four of the regional runs, in the Northern, Upper West, Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions, have already taken place.

The second phase, which is the main and final event which takes place on Saturday, September 5, will see a 5km run for non-professional athletes and the 21km run for professional athletes who will be vying for the ultimate trophy.

It will cover a distance of 21km from the Independence Square through the Labadi beach road along the Atlantic Ocean and back to the starting point via the National Theatre.

The marathon is expected to attract thousands of runners both locally and internationally, including Africa’s finest runner ever, Haile Gebreselassie.