Airtel Ghana, multiple award-winning telecommunications company has partnered the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as headline sponsor of the maiden edition of the Millennium Marathon event scheduled for September 5, 2015.
The company is supporting the Millennium Marathon Sports Ltd, as a title sponsor as part of Airtel Ghana’s commitment and drive towards the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the development of sports activities in Ghana.
Managing Director of Airtel Ghana Limited, Lucy Quist said, “this marathon will connect people from all walks of life and around the country who are committed to health and fitness. At Airtel we recognize healthy lifestyles and hard work as building blocks for world-class achievements. Our Corporate Social Responsibility call to action, ‘Make Your Change” resonates with this year’s Marathon theme “Run the change in You” as they both inspire people to unleash their potential while instilling a healthy lifestyle in all participants.”
Dr. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Lord Mayor of Accra on his part stated that the upcoming Accra marathon is of immense importance to the nation as it brings along numerous economic benefits and international recognition to the city of Accra since it will attract international media coverage. The marathon gives runners the opportunity to challenge themselves, train hard and strive to achieve a personal best, and on race day we all share in their success. He added, ” I thank Airtel Ghana for partnering with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Millennium Marathon Sports Ltd as co-title sponsors of the marathon.”
The marathon, which would become an annual event, would be held in two phases. The first phase comprises 9 regional marathons to be run in each regional capital. The distance to be covered is 10.5km. Four of the regional runs have taken place already in Northern Region, Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti Region.
The second phase which is the main and final event taking place on Saturday, September 5 will see a 5km run for non-professional athletes and the 21km run for professional athletes who will be vying for the ultimate trophy. It would cover a distance of 21km from the Independence Square through the Labadi beach road along the Atlantic Ocean and back to the starting point via the National theatre. The Marathon is expected to attract thousands of runners both locally and internationally including Africa’s finest ever runner, Haile Gebreselassie.
Supporting the communities in which it operates is one of the key commitments of Airtel Ghana and is at the core of its business strategy. As a socially committed company Airtel Ghana has shown, tremendous support to different sport’s activities since its inception in 1998. Airtel Rising Stars is one of the company’s flagship projects which is a grassroots initiative that seeks to bring out, train and position local football talents. Airtel’s leadership is highly acknowledged through the services it launches and through its direct involvement with activities that delivers high social impact.