The prize money for the 5th Obudu international mountain race has been slightly adjusted to accommodate the first African mountain running championships which will hold alongside the Obudu international mountain race next month at the Obudu Ranch Resort in Obudu, Cross River State.Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said for the two-in-one race price money has gone up from $227,000 to $245,500.

However, the prize money for the first three positions for both male and female events remain the same at $50,000, $20,000 and $9,000 respectively to still make the Obudu international mountain race the highest paying mountain race in the world.

The prize money from the 4th to the 10th placed finishers have, however, been adjusted to $4,500, $4,000, $3,000, $2,500, $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively.

Archibong also revealed the prize money for the African mountain running championships as follows: The first and second prize winners in the strict team event will get $10,000 and $7,500, respectively.

“The African nations mountain race will be competed for by only male runners this year representing their different countries and will be run side by side the annual Obudu international mountain race,” reveals Archibong, who has been the head of the LOC since 2005, when the inaugural edition of the race was run.

The LOC boss also revealed that the prize monies for the best Nigerian finishers (male and female) as well as those for the media race still remain the same with the first three finishers winning $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 respectively.

The Obudu international mountain race uncovers a distance of 11 kilometres uphill to an altitude of 1,575 metres above sea level taking you to one of the first tourist destinations in the world, the Obudu Mountain Resort. The race has already received the support of the new man at the helm of affairs of the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA). Italian, Bruno Gozzelino who has hinted that the race may get a WMRA Grand Prix status as early as 2011 if the Obudu LOC makes a request.

The Confederation of African Athletics (AA) is also backing the race and its Secretary General, Lamy Fatty wrote the AFN recently to express their support for the innovative efforts of Governor Liyel Imoke especially regarding the African Mountain Running Championships. The race has also attracted the new commonwealth mountain running champion, Wilson Chemwepo of Kenya.

WMRA Women’s grand Prix Winner and the race defending woman champion, Andrea Mayr of Austria as well as Czech Republic’s Anna Pichatova who won the women’s individual event at penultimate weekends World Mountain Running Long Distance Challenge in Soll, Austria.