Organisers of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon have announced Sunday, March 15, 2026, as the final day for participants to collect their medals, following disruptions caused by a crowd surge after the 10km race.
In a notice to runners, the organisers urged anyone who had not received their medals to visit the designated collection centres across Lagos before the exercise closes.
The statement read: “This is a quick reminder that today, Sunday the 15th, is the final day to pick up your medals from the designated pick-up locations. If you are yet to collect yours, please make your way to any of the three designated medal collection centres announced earlier before the close of the exercise today. This is the last opportunity to receive your well-deserved medal for completing the race. After today, the medal collection process will officially come to a close.”
The organisers also thanked participants for taking part in what they described as a historic edition of the marathon.
Medals can be collected at three locations: Puma Store at Ikeja City Mall, Alausa; Puma Store at Circle Mall on Lekki Toll Road; and the marathon office at Teslim Balogun Stadium.
Earlier reports by The Telegraph noted that Nilayo Sports Management Limited, the organisers, said they were reviewing their medal distribution framework following chaos at the 10km race finish point on Saturday.
The 11th edition of the marathon saw strong performances in the elite category. Kenya’s Ezra Kering won the men’s 42km race in 2:11:55, while Ethiopia’s Meseret Dinke finished first in the women’s category with a time of 2:37:36.
The full marathon began at Orca Shopping Mall on Ahmadu Bello Way, Eko Atlantic, and concluded at Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island, with a 6:30 a.m. flag-off.
While the elite race ran smoothly, the 10km event was marred by disorder at the medal collection point. The race, which started at Grace Garden Event Centre, Lekki, ended at Eko Atlantic but reportedly descended into chaos as impatient runners overwhelmed security personnel and pulled down barricades to access medals.
Some participants allegedly grabbed multiple medals, and reports indicated that a number of medals were later sold to runners who had completed the race but could not access the distribution point.
The incident sparked outrage among participants, with many accusing fellow runners and some volunteers of exploiting the situation for personal gain.
