Estévez, 27 years old and originally from the western Cuban province of Mayabeque, demonstrated his usual poise and tenacity to win the distance of 21.097 km with a time of 1:06:51 hours, four seconds less than the mark achieved by him in the 2023 edition when he also won.
In an interview with Prensa Latina, the Mayabeque walker was exultant, as he had been unable to run for two weeks due to an injury that had him on the sidelines and as soon as the discomfort subsided, he felt he could not miss this 38th edition of the main long-distance event outside stadiums that is organized in Cuba.
“I ran carefully, I cannot deny it. My trainer told me not to force myself and to follow a pace based on how I felt in each section. That is what I did, I let myself go, the pleasant temperature and the gentle breeze present throughout the course helped me and I was surprised to see that despite all the setbacks, I got a better time,” he explained.
Also winner this year of the Varadero International Marathon, Ronnei —as everyone knows him and he prefers to be called— announced he will continue to work on recovery, as some discomfort persists and he will seek to improve his performance next season and be ready for any invitation to foreign marathons.
Guantanamo´s Anisleidis, for her part, was equally surprised with the time she achieved (1:15:21 hours), because after the educational tests carried out by her coach, both of them considered her time should be over an hour and 17 minutes.
“I felt great, I didn’t expect this time, the best I have done, I am happy and I dedicate it to my family, coach, and all those who have supported me. This result inspires me to continue with more effort in my preparation. My main tests are on the track and next season I am sure there will be successes, I am working hard,” she said with overflowing joy.
When asked about the race, she insisted that her main rival is the clock: “the result is important, I can win or finish fourth, fifth, off the podium, but if I managed to improve my time, then I already feel satisfied, like now. My rival is always the clock, it is the one I face head on, to try to get a better time every time I compete.”
In the 10 km distance, Alejandro Manuel Rodríguez (31:50 minutes) and the Pan American runner-up in the 1500 m and Olympic finalist in the 800 m Dayli Cooper (personal best of 35:37) dominated; while in the marathon (42.195 km) Dairan Suárez and Milena Pérez won with times of 2:37:28 and 3:03:37 hours, respectively.
Dedicated to the 505th anniversary of the founding of Havana, the 38th edition of Marabana had a finish line and start in front of the Ramón Fonst multipurpose stadium, on Avenida de Rancho Boyeros in the Cuban capital and from 06:00, local time, 2,367 runners from various countries participated in the different distances.
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