Coca Cola and Eva Water will refresh athletes,officials,spectators and VIPS when the 7th edition of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) silver label Okpekpe international 10km road race holds on May 25,2019 in Okpekpe,Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Zak Amodu,director of organisation for the race reveals that cocacola,the best-known and biggest-selling soft drink in history and Eva water,the processed water which is subjected to filtering and purification treatments before being bottled and is compliant with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have come on board as refreshment partners of the historic race.
‘This is a big development for us at Okpekpe to have unarguably the best soft drink and purest processed water join us as we strive to make more history for Nigeria and West Africa,’said Amodu.
‘Remember we are the first road race to be granted a label race in Nigeria nay West Africa which means we are the first road running event to be internationally recognised.We didn’t stop there as we also moved a step up to a silver label race and our target now is to go for gold.’
‘A label certifies the global sporting significance of the race, the organisational quality and the compliance with relevant
IAAF competition rules,’explains Amodu who restated the organisers resolve to use a gold label template to organise this
year’s event in a fortnight.
‘Our target is to get a gold label for the race next year and the new IAAF road race rules have made it compulsory that we
use the template of the label we are aspiring for in the event preceding the label.This means that this year’s race will have
a gold label standard written all over it especially in terms of the quality of the elite field.”
Amodu reveals Cocacola and Eva will be providing cash and all its products in Nigeria for the race.
‘We
will have 350 cases of Eva Water 50cl (4,200 bottles) supplied by our
latest partner.Some of these will be used along the race routes at
intervals of three kilometres from the starting point,’revealed Amodu
who added that 30 cases of sparkling PET 35cl (360
bottles)-Coke,Fanta,Sprite will be used to refresh the VIPS at the main
venue where race ends and prize presenattion holds.’
Amodu added that Coca-cola and Eva will also provide ice for chilling the drinks as well as ice coolers.
‘They
will also provide us branded ladies (15 in all) for the race.Four of
them will be deployed (in pairs) along the race route at intervals of
three kilometres and will be handing out Eva water to the runners as
they race by.They will thereafer move to the finishing point to join the
other 11 to cheer runners and also serve drinks to the Runners as well
as the VIP,’Amodu explained.