As the Bigi brand of Rite Foods powers the Ijebu Heritage Half Marathon on Saturday, July 17, international athletes have indicated an interest in participating in the race which will also see Ijebu youths and local stars display their sports prowess.
The marathoners who have won medals at similar events will take part in the 21kilometres race that will commence from Tunde Debasco Road, Ejirin, and ends at the Otunba Dipo Dina International Stadium, Ijebu Ode, with winning prize of $30,000, as well as other exciting freebies.
On the list of participating athletes are male marathoners such as Kenya’s Bernard Sang who was first at the 2020 Istanbul Marathon, Hosea Chirchir Kiplimo, Rhonzas Lokitam, Kilimo, Eliud Mewangi, Sammy Nyokaye, John Muriuri Mburi, William Amponsah, Titus Kipruto Kibiego, and Paul Korch.
Others are Uganda’s Ezekiel Chepkoromk and Azerbaijan’s Desta Fitsun Weldu.
The female participants include Shila Jepkosgei, who is a World Athletics gold-label runner, Ghana’s Juliana Lariba Sakat, Kenya’s Gladys Jepkemoi Chemweno, Caern Jebet Maiyo, Ruth Karanja, Susy Chebet Chemaimak, and Hannah Wanjiru Gatheru. Also on the list is Uganda’s Racheal Zena Chebet, and Bahrain’s Damaris Muthee Mutua.
This support for sports development at the grass-root comes on the heels of the Bigi sponsored popular music reality show, Nigerian Idol, for budding artists, a reflection of the brand’s intervention in worthy initiatives aimed at talent discovery as well as national growth.
Commenting on the sponsorship, the Chief Executive Officer of Rite Foods Limited, Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, said as a leading brand in the food and beverage sector, his company is poised towards supporting initiatives geared towards human advancement, and in any sector of the nation’s economy.
Indeed, the world-class brand has also created much excitement among inhabitants of the town, who are looking forward to the big sporting event and have shown much delight for Rite Foods’ sponsorship.
This was seen in the praises showered on the company by one of the leading voices in Ijebuland, Chief Babatunde Adeyemi, who pointed out that Rite Foods’ Bigi Water and its soft drink variants have set the pace for others by taking athletics to the town where the factory is situated and also employs a lot of indigenes.
The event will have six water points at every 2.5kilometres, with the Bigi Water points for dehydrated participants, thus energizing them with the vigor required, as the sport requires much energy.
Produced with global best practices in purification, Bigi Table Water offers quality, freshness, confidence, and reliability. Other Bigi brands that will also be available are the 12 Bigi soft drink variants comprising the Bigi Cola, Bigi Orange, Bigi Apple, Bigi Bitter Lemon, Bigi Soda Water, Bigi Lemon & Lime, and Bigi Tropical.
Also included are the Bigi Chapman, Bigi Tamarind, Bigi Cherry Cola, Bigi Ginger Lemon, and Bigi Ginger Ale, as well as Rite Foods’ Fearless Redberry, Fearless Classic Energy Drinks, Rite Spicy, Bigi Beef Sausage roll, and Rite Sausage roll.