Mtn @ MindSay

For Africa, the race against AIDS is a marathon.

To this end, Nigeria’s largest GSM telecoms operator, MTN Nigeria has raised the stakes for it's 4th Lagos International Half Marathon event on December 2nd, with an innovative online quiz competition.

The popular competition was designed to educate the populace about the yearly event and to create awareness of the race and its fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic ravaging the continent of Africa, and indeed the whole world.

The quiz, which has been running on http://www.mtnonline.com/marathon for about nine weeks now, allow subscribers to text their answers with the word 'quiz' before a space, and then the answer to a dedicated short code, 32052 weekly, with each text costing 30 Nigerian naira.

more on the 2006 MTN Lagos International Half Marathon fun train

Reigning World Half marathon champion Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania took home the $10,000 prize money on offer at the 4th MTN Lagos International Half Marathon today.

The 19-year-old ran away from defending champion John Korir of Kenya to win in a new course record of 1:02:20, ending the Kenyan 3-year domination of the course.

Korir, 25, equalled his former course record of 1:03:05 to place second while Joseph's training partner and fellow countryman John Yuda took the third position from the hordes of Kenyans and other local runners in 1:04:21.

Joseph told reporters after the race: "When Korir did not want to respond when I asked him to take the lead, I thought then that I was going to win.

"I was third in this race in 2002, so now I am very glad to win it."