UEW’s Koogo Atia wins maiden First National Bank Accra Marathon

A former student of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Koogo Atia has won the men’s category of the 42.2 kilometres race of the 2023 First National Bank (FNB) Accra Marathon held today, November 11.

In the female category, 18-year-old Portia Anaba from the T I Ahmaddiya Secondary School in Kumasi took the first position.

About 1,000 runners from across the country participated in the 42.2 kilometres race for professional athletes as well as 10 kilometres for school children.

Atia, who is currently a National Service Personnel at the Walewale Senior High School, clocked a time of 2:03:25 to emerge winner of the coveted competition which started at 6 am from the Regional Maritime University at Nungua through some demarcated streets in Accra to the Dansoman Keep Fit Club.

The 24-year-old Physical Education Instructor, who hails from the North East Region, precisely Sagadugu in Walewale, took the lead right after the blast of the whistle and further widened the gap at about 500 metres to Dansoman and kept the momentum for hours until he crossed the finished line at Dansoman Keep Fit Club.

For his reward, Atia took home GH₵20,000 as cash prize, laptops and souvenirs from sponsors. He was also rewarded with a fully paid trip to participate in an upcoming international marathon later next year.

“I knew I was going to win because I trained so hard for it. I trained so hard when I heard about this marathon. This is an economization of your pace so you need to train for it. Actually I have trained for more than a month for this competition so I had it in mind that by God’s grace I would win,” he told the Graphic Online in an interview.

Noah Wunboriche and Ishmael Fianoo took the second and third positions respectively and they also received cash prizes, laptops as well as souvenirs from the sponsors

Sheriffa Moro and Joyce Ayaba were second and third in that order, in the female category.

Several products from the sponsors were presented to the first 50 runners while other participants received certificates of participation.

The marathon was organised by the Dansoman Keep Fit Club with sponsorship from the First National Bank.

It was supported by Hollard Insurance, Bel-Aqua, Yango and Dano Milk with the Graphic Communications Group Ltd and the Multimedia Group being media partners.