The Making of Champions Grand Prix is back! After a couple of years’ hiatus, the MoC Grand Prix is making a return for the 4th Edition on Friday 31st May, and Saturday 1st June, 2024, at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos, with the Press Conference taking place the day before on Thursday, 30th May.
While the main Event will take place on Saturday 1st June for 20 Track & Field events across the Sprints, Hurdles, Middle Distances and the Jumps, the six (6) Throwing events will take place on Friday, 31st May.
The 4th MoC Grand Prix marks the first time MoC’s flagship competition will join the World Athletics Continental Tour as a ‘Challenger’ Event, continuing a record-breaking year for Athletics in Nigeria, which has already seen another series of MoC Competitions, MTN CHAMPS, bring the World Athletics Continental Tour to Nigeria for the first time in 2024, after the global series first launched in 2020!
The 4th MoC Grand Prix is set to be the major Olympic qualifying Event in Nigeria of the year so far, with Nigeria’s Olympic Trials fast approaching later in June after the African Championships in Cameroon. Top Athletes from all over Nigeria & Africa are expected to storm Lagos in a bid for Olympic qualifying marks and ranking points in the lead up to the Continental showpiece and the National Olympic Trials!
The Making of Champions Grand Prix has emerged as Nigeria’s leading Elite Athletics Competition since the inaugural edition launched in 2018 to provide Athletes across Nigeria & Africa more opportunities to qualify for major international competitions such as the Olympics and World Championships. The 3rd MoC Grand Prix in 2021 was the first time the Event served as an Olympic qualifying Event as the world emerged from the global coronavirus pandemic, with Athletes from up to 10 African nations attending.
Africa’s fastest man in history, Ferdinand Omanyala, got his first major taste of elite sprinting globally at the 3rd edition, running a then Kenyan National Record of 10.01s to become the first Kenyan ever to qualify for the men’s 100m at the Olympic Games, before going on to break the African 100m Record later that year. Favour Ashe, Nigeria’s fastest man so far in 2024, also burst into limelight at the 3rd MoC Grand Prix, running 10.17s & 10.07s (+2.7) as an MoC Athlete under the tutelage of Olympic Medallist Deji Aliu, receiving 15 US Collegiate Scholarship offers and going on to represent Nigeria at the 2021 World U20 Championships.
In celebration of the pivotal role that MoC has played in discovering and developing the nation’s most promising Athletics talents for nearly a decade, the 4th MoC Grand Prix Press Conference on 30th May will also be used to announce the relaunch of the MoC Athletics Academy, with the unveiling of 12 Student-Athletes discovered at MTN CHAMPS Season 1 (the Top 10 & 2 Wildcards) joining the Academy as ‘Team MTN’ for an initial 1 year, with a further 12 Student-Athletes from Season 2 set to follow by September, ahead of the start of the 2024/25 academic year and athletics season, with MTN also sponsoring them for 1 year!
Making of Champions has received interest from Athletes from all over the world to compete at the 4th MoC Grand Prix. As such, all Athletes (both international and based in Nigeria) who wish to participate should register online at mocgrandprix.com by the Sunday 26th May registration deadline. International Athletes are advised to fly directly to Lagos and email us at [email protected] with your flight itinerary, to enable us provide logistical support such as airport transfers, and to answer any other questions regarding your travel.
