Tagoe and Effiong win 2026 Duku Cycling Championships in Accra

Solomon Tagoe and Patience Effiong Otudung won the men’s and women’s races at the 2026 Duku Cycling Championships in Accra. Tagoe completed the 120-kilometre men’s event in about three hours and 30 minutes, while Effiong Otudung covered the 50km women’s course in one hour and 52 minutes.

Francis Owusu finished second in the men’s race and Victor Cudjoe placed third. Frank Akuffo, Prince Quaye and Emmanuel Sesi filled the remaining positions in the top six.

The men’s event began at 11:38am and recorded an average speed of 33.27km/h. Effiong Otudung’s women’s race started one minute later, with her winning performance producing an average speed of 26.78km/h.

Ellen Anim came second in the women’s standings, followed by Abigail Tetteh. Kersena, Jessica Nattey, Jennifer N. Lamptey and Rebecca Ayana completed the next four places.

The championship was staged during the Homowo celebrations and formed part of the fourth Osu Homowo Festival Cycling Championships. This year’s event was held under the theme “Women Empowerment, Health is Wealth”, placing particular emphasis on women’s participation and the wider health benefits of cycling.

Special guest Kobla Mensah Woyome praised the organisers for keeping the competition going and called for more women and girls to take part in cycling and sport. He linked the sport to exercise, recreation, healthy living and opportunities for empowerment and professional development.

Woyome also urged businesses in Ghana to invest more in cycling, describing sponsorship as both a social contribution and a commercial opportunity. He said events such as the championships could help discover talent and create a route for recreational riders to move into competitive and professional cycling, with the broader ambition of developing the sport from local recreation to an international level.