Nearly Three Thousand Runners and Walkers to Animate Marabana Marathon

A total of 2,969 runners and walkers from Cuba and 34 other nations will animate the upcoming 39th edition of the Marabana marathon this Sunday, the Organizing Committee confirmed today.

At a press conference, members of the National Marabana-Maracuba Races and Walks Commission notified of the attendance of at least 275 foreigners, with Mexico, Colombia, and the United States having the highest number of representatives.

The iconic race, which pays tribute to the anniversary of the founding of the Villa de San Cristóbal de La Habana, will convene 2,694 national participants, including members of the national long-distance running team.

With the start and finish line at the Ramón Font Polivalent Sports Center, the event will award prizes in the five-kilometer, 10-kilometer, 21-kilometer, and 42-kilometer distances, on a circuit officially certified by the World Athletics.

On Sunday, the first to start will be the marathon runners at 06:00 local time; 15 minutes later, the contestants in the 21-kilometer race will begin their event, and one hour after that, it will be the turn for the five and 10-kilometer runners.

According to the information released, the event will allow athletes from the Cuban long-distance team to improve their records with a view to qualifying for the 2026 Santo Domingo Central American and Caribbean Games.

The organizers highlighted the participation in this edition of the winners of the last half-marathon, Cubans Anisleidis Ochoa and Francisco Ronnei Estevez, as well as the return to the capital's streets of Olympic athlete Dailín Belmonte after maternity.

During the presentation, the current national record holder for the 42 kilometers and 195 meters (2:36.35 hours), Emperatriz Wilson, received recognition from the Athletes' Commission, the Cuban Athletics Federation, and the Institute of Sports for her role in Marabana, first as an athlete and currently in her capacity as a volunteer.

Approaching its fourth decade, the Havana marathon constitutes the most iconic running event in the Caribbean nation and the perfect setting to overcome personal challenges.