LAGOS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Forty-eight out of the 55 elite athletes scheduled to participate at the Obudu International Mountain Race at the Obudu Ranch in southeast Nigeria on Saturday have been in Calabar city, capital of Cross River State on Wednesday.

    The athletes include reigning men and women world mountain race champion, Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand, Andrea Mayr of Austria and defending men's champion, Awash Fikadu of Ethiopia, local media reported Thursday.

    The women's defending champion, Rita Sitinei, will however not be around to defend the title she won last year on health grounds.

    Sitinei will not however be sorely missed as the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country silver medallist Mestawet Demisse and 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon silver medallist, Aselefech Medessa, both of Ethiopia, will be the cynosure of all eyes on Saturday in the women's category.

    Both athletes are also in the country for the race and will be competing in the 11.25km Obudu course against the experienced 2008World Mountain Running Champion, Andrea Mayr of Austria.

    Leading the men is Wyatt, who is the current World Mountain Running champion.

    Meanwhile, the winner of the media race will be offered an all-expense paid holiday to South Africa by African Sun Limited, the outfit that manages the Obudu Ranch Resort.