Accra, July 17, GNA--This year's Accra Milo Marathon would be held in Accra on Saturday, September 27.

More than 1,000 runners are expected to take part in the competition, which is being organised by the Dansoman Keep Fit Club and sponsored by Nestle Ghana Limited.

To qualify for the event, one of the criteria for participation is to submit an empty sachet of Milo 200g or 10 empty sachets of Milo 15g before registration.

Mr Colin Taylor, Marketing Manager of Nestle Ghana Limited, announced these at the launch of the event in Accra on Thursday. He said the 42.2 kilometre race would start from The Point, Nungua to the 37 Military Hospital through Kwame Nkruma Circle to the Dansoman KeepFit Club Grounds.

Mr Taylor said the continued sponsorship of the competition by his company is his company's commitment to sports promotion and development in the country and the company has voted more than 600 million cedis into this year's event.

He said Nestle Ghana and the Ghana Education Service are developing new ways of making the event more innovative, more dynamic and at the same time more challenging.

The Marketing Manager said in this year's event, his company decided to allow five boys and five girls from each region to participate in the U-15 event, which would start from the Kaneshie Sports Complex to the Dansoma Keep Fit Club grounds. All their expenses regarding their stay in Accra would be borne by the company.

Mr Taylor said the company would not relent in its efforts at unearthing talents.

He said since 1984 a total of six billion cedis have been invested into sports and this commitment to sports development will continue in the years ahead.

Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister for Youth, Education and Sports, praised the company for their contributions towards the development of sports in the country.

The State Insurance Company of Ghana Limited (SIC) is supporting the event with 10 million cedis cash and over one billion cedis Personal Accident Cover for the participants and officials.

Winners in the male and the female categories would represent Ghana in the Amsterdam Marathon scheduled for October nine, this year with 1,000 dollars spending money while the those in the Juniors category would receive 800,000 cedis scholarship bursary.