Baseball and marathon bring joy to Cuban
sport
Javier Clavelo Robinson for the IAAF
18 November 2001 – Havana - Baseball,
Cuba’s no. 1 passion, and marathon
combined from different parts of the
world on Sunday to provide Cubans with a
great day of sporting pleasure.
It was dawn, almost the whole country was following by radio and TV the Cuba-USA baseball world championships final in Taipei, where the Island revenged its defeat in the Sydney Olympic Games to clinch its seventh world consecutive title, 23rd overall.
Four minutes later, in Havana, a record of nearly 3.000 runners from 78 nations started a new adventure, challenging unfavourable whether conditions: rain, a 96% humidity and a cool day (22 degree Celsius), which got hotter later.
They were all celebrating the 15th anniversary of Havana International Marathon and Half Marathon (Marabana), on the eve of the National Day of Sport.
Aguelmis Rojas y Mariela Gonzalez, who raced in Cuba’s debut in World Half Marathon Champsionships, in Bristol, became the stars of the day, breaking the national records for the 21,0975km run.
Rojas, 23, ran a solo race from start to finish, setting a very steady pace (14:56-30.18-45.42-1:01.00 splits) to successfully defend his 2000 title in a national and race record time of 1:04.10, three seconds faster than his performance in Bristol, where he was the third representative from the Americas to cross the finish line.
“I had no rivals, the weather and the clock were the only challenges. The rain made the pavement very slippery and I lost valuable seconds,” he admitted.
In the same distance, Gonzalez, 27, delivered another fine performance with a 1:14:56 effort, to achieve her sixth Marabana crown, including fifth in a row.
Gonzalez completed a great season, when she also won the Madrid marathon in April and the half marathon gold in the Central and Caribbean championships in Guatemala (July), the country’s first area title since 1991.
Although they lost their records (1:16:16 and 1:04.23), Emperatriz Wilson and Alberto Cuba conquered the highest laurels in the 42,195 km race to confirm themselves as the Marabana Queen and King as they won their ninth and eighth title, respectively.
Wilson passed the first half in 1:18 and went on to clock 2:43.39, the third fastest time ever produced on Cuban soil and good enough to break Yesenia Centeno’s 2:44:12 mark, established in 1994.
“The rain made the day cooler and I am surprised by my time as I had to stop training due to a flu. This ninth win in Marabana means a lot to me and show that at 35, I can still perform well”, said the 1991 Havana Pan American Games bronze medalist.
At 39, Alberto Cuba ran a very intelligent race, letting his brother Alexis and Hiram Trutie set the pace, covering the first lap in a little over than 68 minutes, six seconds faster than the eventual winner.
The 1991 Havana Pan Am Games marathon champion made a break at the 30km mark, but a rain 15 minutes later did not help him go for the 2:14-2:16 time planned. “At that point, I just focused on winning”, he would say later.
Former soccer player Erick Hernandez, who broke the Guinness record kicking a ball nonstop during 42,195 km (7:17:11 in ‘99), set this time a new standard for the 21,0975km race: 3:49:42.
The race started and finished in front of the Capitol building in Prado Avenue and passed many of the local beauty spots, such as the Malecon (a sea-wall drive), the Ciudad Deportiva (City of Sport) and the Revolution Square, where cries of “go-go”, “allez-allez”, “vamos” cheered on the runners.
Jose Ramon Fernandez, president of the Cuban Olympic Commitee, Olympians Ana Fidelia Quirot, Enrique Figuerola and Lazaro Betancourt (retired) attended the race.
Other prestigious guests were Neftali Rojas, secretary general of the North, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACACAA) and Guillermo Jimenez, general director of Spain’s Higher Sport Council.
Even painter Carlos Reyes - who devoted a series to the winners of the race - took part in a short 3.5km fun run. Similar events were held all over the Island, as part of a national athletics festival called Maracuba, which drew some 450.000 participants and 30.000 volunteers.
“Sport is the ideal way to be healthier. It brings people together, teaches man to be disciplined and entertains them too, and Marabana was a clear example of that”, said Fernandez.
“The 2001 edition was a great challenge, in the face of the difficult international context and the effects of Hurricane Michelle, but we are very satisfied to have been able to host one of the largest international events ever held in Cuba”, stated Carlos Gattorno, who has directed the race since its creation.
Seasoned by a baseball world title, Marabana celebrated her 15th birthday, uniting runners from 78 countries in a new call for world peace.
Results:
Half Marathon
Men
1. Aguelmis Rojas 1:04:10 CR
2. Henry Jaen 1:05:46
3. Norber Jordan 1:08:30
Women
1. Mariela Gonzalez 1:14:56 CR
2. Yudelikis Martinez 1:18:15
3. Yailen Garcia 1:20:29
Marathon
Men
1. Alberto Cuba 2:18:20 horas
2. Alexis Cuba 2:21:39
3. Angel Ferreiro 2:28:00
Women
1. Emperatriz Wilson 2:43:39 CR
2. Adelina Limonta 3:06.13
3. Fidelina Limonta 3:09:16
CR- Course records
