Africa Running Conference Opens with High-Impact Workshops in Lagos

The Africa Running Conference 2026 began on a powerful note Thursday, delivering a full day of high-level technical sessions aimed at strengthening road running standards across the continent.

The conference, holding at the Lavender Hall of the Eko Hotel in Lagos, drew race organisers, athletics administrators, broadcast experts and global stakeholders for strategic discussions on performance, integrity, community engagement and media visibility in African road races.

Proceedings opened with accreditation before participants moved into the first technical session, “Technical Performance: Accurate Timing, Distance and Race Credibility Through Officiating.” The panel featured globally respected experts Norrie Williamson, David Katz and Thorsten Griesbach, moderated by Chris Robb. Discussions focused on the importance of accurate race measurement, certified timing systems and professional officiating as foundational pillars for Africa’s growing road race ecosystem.

Following a networking break, attention shifted to sustainable development in the session titled “Community Empowerment: Sustainable Community Partnership Equals Race Success.” Former Zambia Athletics President Elias Ng’andu Mpondela and Waziri Mainasara of UrbanBetter emphasised that community ownership and structured partnerships are critical to ensuring long-term race sustainability and socio-economic impact.

After lunch, the spotlight turned to integrity in sport with a presentation on “Anti-Doping in Label Road Races” delivered by Andrea De Mas of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The session underscored the necessity of clean competition and strict compliance with global anti-doping standards to maintain international credibility.

Media visibility and global positioning of African races formed the core of another session led by Chris Robb, Founder and CEO of Mass Participation World. Titled “Media and Communications: Reaching Globally Through Local Outlets,” the discussion explored strategies for leveraging local media platforms to amplify African races on the world stage.

The day concluded with a high-impact panel on “Broadcasting: Bringing Road Races to Life On Air.” Chichi Nwoko, CEO of Team 33, and Felix Awogu, General Manager of SuperSports Nigeria, examined the role of production quality, storytelling and commercial strategy in enhancing the broadcast value of live road races.

The atmosphere was further enlivened by the arrival of renowned entrepreneur and sports enthusiast Aisha Achimogu, whose presence added prestige and excitement to the event.

With robust participation, cross-continental knowledge exchange and practical insights, Day One laid a solid foundation for the main conference scheduled for Friday, setting the tone for what is expected to be a landmark gathering for road running development in Africa.