Determined to eradicate cancer scourge, the organisers of the just ended 2019 Lagos Women’s Run has launched a campaign against the disease in the state.
The general coordinator of the marathon, Tayo Popoola in a chat with newsmen at the weekend stated that women’s well-being is dear to Lagos Women’s Run hence, provision was made for a mammogram to conduct tests on participants.
She said: “Apart from the socialising and networking at the Lagos Women’s Run, we are also taking seriously the health challenges of our women. That is why we offered to conduct a cancer test on some of the participants.
“Tests were conducted free of charge and we hope it would help save lives as early detection gives hope of survival to patients.
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“We would be carrying out the test at all times and believe it will be brought to the nearest minimum and our women can live healthily.”
Meanwhile, Lagos State First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, at the weekend set the record in Nigeria as the first governor’s wife ever in the history of Nigerian sports, to finish the 10km road race at the 2019 Lagos Women’s Run.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu who is a medical doctor said, she felt great about the exercise, “as a First Lady, I completed a 10km road race. I salute all the women, young and old that participated in this year’s Lagos Women’s Run.”
In her remarks, Popoola said: “the presence of the First Lady of Lagos State, further boosted the standard of the Run and gave the Women’s Run added glamour, with other runners getting encouraged to complete the race.
“We were so happy as we saw the November 9, 2019 Women’s Run encouraged petty women traders who sold their market from Tapioka hawkers to Ofada rice hawkers, food vendors.”
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The Kenyan, who won the Women Run title, Careen Cheptoeck, broke and set a new course record of 28 minutes 55 seconds. The first record was set in 2016 when Olude Fadekemi won the inaugural edition at 40 minutes 30 seconds. Olude’s course record was broken in 2018 when compatriot Rose Akusho from Plateau State, broke and set a new record of 34 minutes 35 seconds.
Cheptoeck said she registered for the Lagos Women’s Run while going through a training regime in the high altitude Plateau state after her participation in the JAC Motors Abeokuta 10km Road Race, with the aim of joining Nigerian women to fight against domestic violence and other vices against women in the society. The Kenyan noted that she joined the Lagos Women Run train, to boost her preparation towards achieving the dream of winning a full marathon in the nearest future.
It was the first time a Kenyan competed in the Lagos Women Run.
The Lagos Women Run also recorded a landmark achievement in the Veteran category, as Nigeria’s Genevieve Njoku, emerged a two-time winner of the Veteran category title. She won first in 2018 and won her second title on November 9, 2019, at the 45 minutes 03 seconds.