Ethiopian big guns return for 2012 Obudu Mountain Race in Nigeria

Ethiopians Abebe Dinkesa, Habtamu Fikadu, Hunegnaw Mesfin and Genet Yalew, all former champions, have confirmed their participation in the 8th Obudu International Mountain Race (OMR) 2012.

The race, which also features the 4th African Mountain Running Championships 2012, will be staged at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Cross-River State, Nigeria on Saturday November 17.

Dinkesa became only the second man in the history of the mountain race to win the title twice when he won the men’s title and the accompanying $50,000 top prize in 2008 and 2010. He also holds the course record of 41:45 set whilst winning his first title in 2008.

The other double winner, Habtamu Fikadu, was victorious in 2007 and 2009.

Also making a return is the men’s defending champion, Hunegnaw Mesfin who ran the second fastest winning time (41:50) to win last year.

In the Women's race, reigning champion Genet Yalew of Ethiopia topped the bill of returnee champions and with Kenya’s Busienei Rita Jeptoo will battle for the title and the $50,000 prize money.

Busienei was the second African woman to win the race after Ethiopia’s Rehima Kedir succeeded Czech Republic’s Anna Pichrtová as champions in 2006.

Yalew, the defending women champion, is aiming to become the first athlete, man or woman to successfully defend the Obudu title while both women will be hoping to make history as the first woman to win two titles at the race.

New course

Meanwhile, the 2012 edition will feature only professional athletes and runners according to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC).

LOC Chair, William Archibong, said the decision was based on the fact that a new course will be used this year, which will make the race more challenging than previously.

The OMR is usually run on an asphalted road, over a distance of 11km uphill, climbing to an altitude of over 1500m above sea level. With Obudu being granted hosting right of the 30th World Mountain Running Championship in 2014, a new running course has been developed, which will be put to use, with effect from this year in preparation for 2014.

"This year we are using a new course which is 90% on the bush track and only 10% on the asphalted road," said Archibong.

"This will make the race more challenging for the runners, so we’ve decided that there will be no more fun runners from this year.  The OMR is now a purely professional race, as most mountain races in the world are."

The Obudu Mountain Race is the highest paying mountain race in the world with star prize of $50,000 for both male and female winners.

ENTRIES LIST

Race Number |  NAME |  SEX | COUNTRY

Male

1  ABEBE DINKESA   M  MOROCCO
2  ABRARAW MISGANAW  M  ETHIOPIA
3  ABREHEM AYELE  MERGIYA  M  ETHIOPIA
4  CHEMOSIN  ROBERT  M  KENYA
5  BONSA DIDA   M  ETHIOPIA
6  FABIANO JOSEPH  M  TANZANIA
7  FIKADU HAFTU TSADIK  M  ETHIOPIA
8  HENOK SAMUEL TADESSE  M  ETHIOPIA
9  KASHAY ATBESHA KASA  M  ETHIOPIA
10  KHALID SADDEN  M  MOROCCO
11  KIBET STEPHEN KOSGEI  M  KENYA
12  KIPRUTO SILAS  M  KENYA
13  MACDONARD ONDARA  M  KENYA
14  MARK KIPCHUMBA   M  KENYA
15  MASAI GILBERT  M  KENYA
16  NICHOLAS KIPKEMBOL  M  KENYA
17  PHILEMON RONO  M  KENYA
18  RICHARD KIPRUTO  M  KENYA
19  SAMSON GEBREYOHANNES   M  ERITREA
20  TEBALU ZAWUDE HEYI  M  ETHIOPIA
21  MWANGI WILLY KARIKU  M  KENYA
22  UMARU LAWAN  M  CAMEROON
23  JAMES KANGOGO KIPKELION  M  KENYA
24  HUNEGNAW MESFIN  M  ETHIOPIA
25  VINCENT YATOR  M  KENYA
26  ZERIHUN NIDA TESSEMA  M  ETHIOPIA
27  FOIMI JUSTILIN  M  CAMEROON
28  JUDE LEKHA  M  CAMEROON
29  NZODE ERNEST  M  CAMEROON
30  Silas Kirwa Ngetich.  M  KENYA
31  MOHAMMED DOU OUMAROU  M  CAMEROON
32   Tokbe C. Gwet.          M  NIGERIA
33   Emmanuel Gyang   M  NIGERIA
34   Danjuma Gyang  M  NIGERIA
35   Markus S. Gwom   M  NIGERIA
36  Stephen Jurbe         M  NIGERIA
37  John Bulus Jah        M  NIGERIA
38  Ismail Sadjo          M  NIGERIA
39  Gowok K. Joshua  M  NIGERIA
40  Eyo Cletus.                 M  NIGERIA
41  Sunday James     M  NIGERIA
42  Otiva Edwin    M  NIGERIA
43  Danjuma Kopkudi      M  NIGERIA
44  Rotben B. Zumkudang   M  NIGERIA
45  Simon Ushie  M  NIGERIA
46  Edwin Akpo  M  NIGERIA
47  Emma Ashindoitiang  M  NIGERIA
48  John Undie  M  NIGERIA
49  Peter Andobong Ingwu  M  NIGERIA
50  Ekpenyojng Bassey Okon  M  NIGERIA
51  Richard Ebebe  M  NIGERIA
52  Hilary Felix Abang  M  NIGERIA
53  Apah Joseph Ogbala  M  NIGERIA
54  Godgift Ogbala  M  NIGERIA
55  Osong Joseph  M  NIGERIA
56  Raphael Achung Pius  M  NIGERIA

Female

57  NJERI PAULINE   F  KENYA
58  MURIUKI WANGARI MARGARET  F  KENYA
59  ARUSEI PENINAH  F  KENYA
60  HAGOS AZEMRA GEBRU  F  ETHIOPIA
61  CHENONGE INESS  F  ETHIOPIA
62  BEHRA AFERA GODFAY  F  ETHIOPIA
63  GENET YALEW  F  ETHIOPIA
64  MESELECH MELKAMU  F  ETHIOPIA
65  ALEMITU HEROYE BANATA   F  ETHIOPIA
66  TIGIST KIROS GEBRESELASSIE   F  ETHIOPIA
67  HAFTAMNESH TESFAYE   F  ETHIOPIA
68  ROMAN GIDEY BERHE   F  ETHIOPIA
69  FARIDAH CHELANGA   F  KENYA
70  YIMER WUDE AYALEW  F  KENYA
71  BISUENEI RITA JEPTOO   F  KENYA
72  KIPOECH PASKALIA   F  KENYA
73  NGWAYA YVONNE  F  CAMEROON
74  NGALIM LISETTE  F  CAMEROON
75  CEZNO MELI ANGELE  F  CAMEROON
76  MISSIMA MOUTANGO FLORENCE  F  CAMEROON
77  AUDREA MAYR  F  AUSTRIA
78  JEPTOO PRISCAH  F  KENYA
79  Janet Dung Dabatu  F  NIGERIA
80  Hudung Gyang Stephen    F  NIGERIA
81  Genevive Njoku              F  NIGERIA
82  Owegani Victoria  F  NIGERIA
83  Rotkang James  F  NIGERIA
84  Akaba Iwager  F  NIGERIA
85  Pereire Olubukola  F  NIGERIA
86  Ogodo Ngozi  F  NIGERIA
87  Aderonke Olumudi   F  NIGERIA
88  Dinatu Yohanna   F  NIGERIA
89  Deborah Pam  F  NIGERIA
90  Esther Dimtok  F  NIGERIA
91  Blessing Bulus Mikuk  F  NIGERIA
92  Ichull Vivian                  F  NIGERIA
93  Dorcas Akawe  F  NIGERIA
94  Loveline Jatto  F  NIGERIA
95  Monica Akpuo  F  NIGERIA
96  Joy Alenyor  F  NIGERIA
97  Angela Onah  F  NIGERIA
98  Chidimma Atuoma  F  NIGERIA
99  Augustina Martins  F  NIGERIA
100  Azi Lipong   F  NIGERIA