The 2026 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon was disrupted on Saturday following a disturbing incident in which an ambulance attached to the event knocked down a spectator along the race corridor.
The incident occurred on February 14, 2026, during the 11th edition of the annual marathon, as thousands of athletes competed across major routes in Lagos. A video of the moment, which has since circulated widely on social media, showed a medical ambulance driving within the race area before hitting a spectator, triggering public concern over safety arrangements at the event.
According to a video of the incident circulating online, it indicated that the incident happened while both the 42-kilometre and 10-kilometre races were ongoing across designated routes in Victoria Island and Lekki. The presence of the ambulance within close proximity to active runners and spectators reportedly caused panic and confusion at the scene.
Prior to the marathon, the Lagos State Government had announced an extensive traffic diversion plan aimed at ensuring the smooth conduct of the race and the safety of participants and the public. Authorities stated that adjoining roads and intersections would be closed to unauthorised vehicular movement between 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to safeguard approximately 28,000 registered runners.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, had earlier assured residents that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and other security agencies would be strategically deployed along the race corridors to restrict access and ensure safety.
The Ministry of Transportation had also explained that the traffic diversion was necessary to guarantee the successful staging of the annual road race while minimising disruption to vehicular movement across major routes.
However, the incident involving an ambulance designated for emergency medical support has raised questions about coordination among race organisers, medical teams and traffic authorities, particularly regarding vehicle movement within restricted marathon corridors.
