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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The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the World Athletics African Running Conference, Chief Solomon Ogba, has declared that Nigeria is on the cusp of emerging as Africa’s leading destination for road races.

Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated African Running Conference, scheduled for Lagos from February 12–13, 2026, the renowned sports administrator said the country is steadily reclaiming its status as a sporting powerhouse, driven by the growing success and viability of road races across Nigeria.

Ogba described the forthcoming conference as a strong endorsement of Nigeria’s progress in staging world-class marathon events.

“We are making significant progress in road races, and the entire world is aware of this. That is why I am very excited about the upcoming Running Conference in Lagos,” he said.

He explained that the conference will convene leading experts and key stakeholders from across the globe, creating a unique platform for strategic engagement and collaboration.

“It will be a gathering of the best minds in road running—from the world governing body to African authorities and key industry players—all working together to further shape the fast-growing road-running landscape in Nigeria and across Africa,” Ogba added.

As excitement continues to build across the continent, Lagos is once again poised to become the centre of global attention in athletics.

The conference will be followed by the 11th edition of the Platinum Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, scheduled for February 14, 2026. The race has continued to gain international recognition and prestige, firmly establishing itself as one of Africa’s largest and most prominent road races.

The African Running Conference is designed to promote the long-term sustainability of road races in Africa while fostering the organic development of world-class marathon events across the continent.

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