By Kunle Solaja.

Lagos today takes centre stage in continental athletics as the Africa Running Conference (WAARC) 2026 opens with a strong gathering of global and African sports leaders committed to reshaping road running across the continent.

The two-day conference, scheduled for February 12–13, serves as a prelude to Saturday’s 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon and is designed to deepen conversations around mass participation, race credibility and international best practices.

Organised in collaboration with World Athletics, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the conference carries the theme: “Reshaping Running and Mass Participation in Africa: Embracing the Global Community.”

Global and Continental Voices

Among the prominent figures expected to address delegates are Jackson Tuwei, Vice President of World Athletics; Ahmed Kalkaba Malboum, President of the CAA; Adille J. Sumariwalla, Vice President of World Athletics; and Alessio Punzi, Head of Running at World Athletics.

They are joined by respected names in global distance running, including former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat and Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultrarunners.

Nigeria’s sports leadership is also playing a visible role, with Bukola Olopade, Director General of the National Sports Commission; Chief Tony Okowa, President of the AFN; Aku Aghazu, AFN Vice President and Head of the Road Running Commission; Yetunde Olopade, Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management and chief organiser of the Lagos City Marathon; and Tayo Popoola, General Coordinator of the Lagos Women Run, all featuring in the sessions.

Business and broadcast stakeholders are equally represented, including Roosevelt Ogbonna of Access Holdings, Innocent C. Ike of Access Corporation, Chichi Nwoko of Team 33 Production, and Felix Awogu of SuperSport Nigeria.

Technical Sessions and Workshops

Proceedings began this morning with accreditation and a technical workshop focusing on performance standards, accurate timing and race credibility. Experts including Norrie Williamson, David Katz and Thorsten Griesbach are leading discussions on measurement integrity and officiating standards, moderated by Chris Robb of Mass Participation World.

Other sessions scheduled for today include panels on sustainable community partnerships, anti-doping in label road races delivered by the Athletics Integrity Unit, media strategies for global reach through local platforms, and broadcasting techniques aimed at bringing road races to life for television audiences.

Delegates will also participate in networking sessions and a welcome dinner this evening, fostering collaboration between administrators, sponsors, broadcasters and race organisers.

Building Toward the Marathon

The conference seamlessly transitions into Saturday’s 11th edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Nigeria’s first World Athletics Gold Label road race. Since its inception in 2016, the event has grown into one of Africa’s premier long-distance races, attracting elite athletes and thousands of recreational runners while significantly boosting sports tourism and healthy living initiatives.

With WAARC 2026 and the marathon holding back-to-back, Lagos is positioning itself as a continental hub for strategic dialogue and innovation in road running.

As discussions begin today, stakeholders across Africa will be looking to Lagos not just for competition on the streets, but for ideas and decisions that could shape the future of running and mass participation throughout the continent.

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Nigeria will take centre stage in continental road running this week as Lagos hosts the Africa Running Conference 2026, a two-day gathering aimed at redefining the future of running and mass participation sports across Africa.

The event, organised under the auspices of World Athletics in collaboration with Nigeria’s National Sports Commission, will hold on Thursday, February 12 (workshops) and Friday, February 13 (main conference), ahead of the 2026 edition of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon scheduled for February 14.

With the theme, “Reshaping Running and Mass Participation in Africa: Embracing the Global Community,” the conference is expected to draw key stakeholders from across Africa and beyond, including administrators, race organisers, corporate sponsors and global athletics leaders.

A distinguished lineup of speakers has been confirmed, headlined by Kenyan legend Paul Tergat, a former marathon world record holder and ambassador of the Africa Running Conference. Others include Alessio Punzi, Head of Running at World Athletics; Fatma Abdal Amale, Vice President of Kenya Athletics; and Jackson Tuwei, Vice President of World Athletics and President of Athletics Kenya.

Nigeria will also be strongly represented at the event, with Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade; Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna; Managing Director/CEO of Premium Trust Bank Plc, Dr Emmanuel Efe Emienim; and General Coordinator of the Lagos Marathon, Tayo Popoola, all scheduled to speak.

Also on the programme are Nadeem Khan, President of the International Association of Ultra Runners, and Chris Robb, Founder and CEO of RunThrough and Mass Participation World.

Organisers say the conference will feature technical workshops, high-level panel discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions focused on strengthening race organisation, expanding grassroots participation and aligning African road running with global best practices.

With Lagos already established as a major marathon destination in Africa, courtesy of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, the Africa Running Conference 2026 is expected to consolidate Nigeria’s leadership role in the development of mass participation sports on the continent.

Stakeholders believe the gathering will serve as a landmark platform for shaping the next phase of running development in Africa, fostering sustainability, innovation and stronger global integration for the sport.

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat is scheduled to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday ahead of the two-day World Athletics African Running Conference, which begins on Thursday.

Tergat, one of Africa’s most celebrated distance runners, will be accompanied by his social media manager, Gloria Tergat, as preparations intensify for the high-profile continental forum.

The World Athletics African Running Conference is expected to attract leading figures in global and African athletics and will serve as a curtain-raiser to this year’s Lagos Marathon, which takes place on Saturday on a newly designed route.

Meanwhile, arrivals have already begun ahead of the conference. Late on Sunday night, Neelkaunt Bhujuu, Technical Director of the Mauritius Athletics Association, became the first of many international delegates expected in Lagos for the event.

Organisers say scores of athletics administrators, technical experts and road-running stakeholders from across Africa and beyond are expected to arrive in the coming days, as Lagos once again positions itself as a hub for road running and athletics development on the continent.

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