Nestle Inaugurates 2010 Milo Marathon

Samer Chedid, Nestle MD

The 24th edition of the annual Accra Milo Marathon (2010) was officially launched at the head office of headline sponsor, Nestle, at Dzorwulu in Accra, last Thursday.

The event, slated for Saturday 25th September and expected to draw hundreds of runners from Ghana and beyond in both the age category and mass event, will witness an improvement on previous ones.

The U-15 category will start from the New Times Corporation while the mass event starts from the Nungua barrier as usual. Both categories end at the Dansoman Keep Fit Club.

In an address at the launch, the Managing Director of Nestle Ghana Limited, Samer Chedid, noted that the race has continued to enjoy the commitment and cooperation of Milo and its partners, making it more exciting every successive year.

“Arguably, the Accra Milo Marathon has become the biggest single branded sporting event, witnessed by over three million people on the streets of Accra. The spirit behind the marathon has been about commitment, endurance, hard work and of achieving one's personal best,” he said.

According to him, the strength of Milo both in Ghana and across the globe lies in the continuous and consistent engagement of core target groups in sports, adding that the theme for this year's competition is 'Race For Life'.

He said the theme “captures the broader picture of our everyday life as Milo's personality stands for everyday nutrition”.

He noted that both categories are expected to attract as many as 5,000 runners, and that Nestle Ghana alone is supporting the event with over GH¢400,000 in prices, kits, media advertising, branding, logistics and other organizational expenses.

Mr. Chedid said apart from cash prizes of GH¢5,000 for mass sport winner and GH¢1,000 saver account for the under-15 division winner, there will be other consolation prizes, including Milo products and souvenirs for winners.

The chairman of the Dansoman Keep Fit Club, Daniel Wilbeck, appealed to the youth to pursue their dreams diligently and set their own achievable targets with the guidance of their parents, stressing that “in the race of life, you don't give up on your dreams.”

Other stakeholders in this year's event include Ecobank Ghana Limited, Metropolitan Insurance Ghana, Everpure Ghana Limited, Accra Mail, Melcom Plus Limited and the general public.

Hon. Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister for Education, was there to grace the occasion.

By Bennett Akuaku