Nestle Ghana Limited is to commit ?742 million to the sponsorship of this year's Milo Marathon, which is slated for 21 September. The amount, which is 15 per cent higher that what was spent last year, is to cover the organisation of the event in the Northern and Southern sectors of the country and the Accra Milo Marathon.

At the launch of this year's edition in Accra on Thursday, Mr Collins Taylor, Marketing Manager of Nestle said the winners of this year's Accra Milo Marathon in the mass sports category for both men and women would gain immediate entry into the Amsterdam Marathon in October and they would be flown to Holland by KLM.

In addition, Milo would provide the winners with $1,000 spending money, Milo products and promotional items. Mr Taylor said winners in the junior division would receive ?600,000 scholarship bursaries, Milo products, exercise books, trophies and certificates of participation.

This year's event, which is the 16th since the competition was introduced in 1986, would be held in the junior and senior categories in the northern and southern sectors of the country before the main one in Accra in September.

The Marketing Manager said the southern sector junior marathon would start on 27 July in the Volta Regional capital, Ho, with participants from Eastern, Western, Central and Greater Accra Regions, while the northern sector event, slated for Bolgatanga on 24 August, would involve athletes from Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West regions.

He said first three in both the girls and boys divisions would be sponsored to participate in the main event in September. There would also be a competition in the under 15 category which would start from the Kaneshie Sports Complex through its traditional routes and end at Dansoman Keep Fit Club.

Mr Taylor said the senior's event would start from The Point at Nungua Barrier and end at the Dansoman Keep Fit Club as well. The Marketing Manager said distances to be covered are 15 kilometres and 42.2 kilometres for the junior and the senior events respectively.