The Marabana Havana Marathon is small marathon with, by my estimation, fewer than 1,000 runners. The marathon is 2x a half marathon. Most of the runners run the half.

Registration:
Registration is opposite the Capitolio and costs 60 pesos (US $60). It doesn't say "registration marathon" but just ask around in that neighborhood - someone should know. Everything is in Spanish but they have a translator in case you don't know any Spanish (like me). You'll get a shirt and a race number. All documentation is in Spanish so ask all English questions you may have while there.

Course:
Start is at 7:00 a.m. opposite the Capitolio. The starting gun was fired by Cuban high jumper Sotomayor. First part is over the great Malecón 7 KM. Then to the zoo, the stadium (around it), to Revolution Square (Che will watch you go by) and back to the Capitolio. This is half the marathon; you have to run it twice.

Circumstances:
It's held in November in the morning. Temperatures from about 17 Celsius in the morning to 27 Celsius in the afternoon. Cool water and oranges every 2 KM. Plenty of it. Sometimes orange juice. No power drinks. A few medical posts and (salty) showers. As expected: pretty hot marathon if you're not used to these temperatures. Many international runners. Roads in the city are being blocked when runners approach. The air in the city is not good because of the bad exhaust from the old cars. Very small crowds. This is not a big event in Havana and running is not a big sport. I didn't get a medal.

I think its organized pretty well and it has some nice parts in the course. I did enjoy it and am happy having raced it.

I just came back from Havana, where a business trip took me just in time to run the Marabana Half Marathon on November 19.

Registration goes fairly easy if you get in touch with the Canadian tour operator advertised in the marathon website. It was $145 Canadian (the most expensive for me so far).

I got to Havana on Friday, Nov 17, and on Saturday morning took a shuttle from the hotel I was staying at to the colonial center of the city (Habana Vieja) and from there I walked about 10 blocks to the Kid Chocolate Sports Center where I was to pick up my race number. The package included also a t-shirt, coupon for the pasta dinner and a course map.

Race day

Got up at 5 a.m., had some bread and fruit ordered the previous night from room service and took a taxi to the same place I picked up the package the previous day. The race was to start at 7 a.m. and I got there around 5:45 a.m. Registered and checked my bag on the back side of the complex. The process was a bit chaotic at first but proved to be effective at the end.

There must have been around 2,000-3,000 runners at the starting line, but that included those running 5K, 10K, 15K, half marathon and full marathon, as well as the relay race, so it's hard to tell how many were actually running each. They were playing salsa music and reaggeaton through loudspeakers, which made for a nice warm up dance.

Javier Sotomayor and Emilio (?) Juantorena (famous Cuban athletes) were at the starting line and one of them even gave the start, which was at 7 a.m. sharp.

The race took us through Del Prado Avenue down towards the malecon, in which we ran for about 6K. The waves were hitting real hard on the malecon and we would get sprayed with salt water every couple of minutes. The temps were real nice at this point, mainly because there was a cold front approaching Cuba. Water/orange stations were located every 2-3K, some had ice and others had sponges too.

The first 9K were flat (malecon) and then we turned right into a hilly section of the course and it remained hilly 'til the finish line (if you're running a full marathon you have to run the same course twice). The course takes you south all the way to the Raul Diaz Sports Complex and from there you turn right back towards Habana Vieja, passing by major icons of Havana like the Plaza de la Revolucion.

By this time I was trying to stick to my plan of walking through water stations but it was getting hard as there was a group of 6-7 of us racing each other and taking turns at the lead so I did not want to fall back. I had just run a half marathon in Panama a week before, where I managed to set a new PR (2:01:31), but was hoping that this time I could at least break the old record of 2:05:29 for a second time in a week.

Got a little confused at the end with a series of turns around a plaza but finally was able to see the finish line at the end of long straight street. Finished in 2:06:44 but feeling strong and with just a little pain in my right knee caused by the final attempt not to get passed by the woman in our pack (failed miserably).

The after-race goodies were more of the same water and oranges; I was handed my medal, picked up my bag and walked 10 blocks back to where I would pick up the shuttle back to the hotel (did this intentionally to give my legs a little rest from running while avoiding to stand still in one place).

In short, Marabana was a different experience for me, since I usually run in either the US or Panama, but really enjoyed it. The organizing committee did a wonderful job of having volunteers at all water stations and all other aspects of the event seemed to run without any trouble. The course is tough, especially if you are running the full (the hills will hit you right at mile 20). I brought my own power gel and regretted not having any PowerAde or Gatorade with me... so my best advice is that you better bring your own stuff. They will not provide any and there's nowhere to buy some.

On the other hand, La Habana is a beautiful city, full of history, great food, and live music in every corner.

Alvaro

I only speak English, therefore the registration was difficult. The marathon was heavy through the weather and its heavy route. I started not too fast but after the half marathon, it became very difficult, and I was very glad when I arrived at the finish. Normally one gets the medallion at the finish, but at this marathon you get it at registration.

For those who like to combine a race experence with a cultural one, the Cuban Marathon (or Half) should be on your list. I have run several marathons in Canada, the United States and Europe. This one does not have the big flare as most international marathons but makes up for it with the very strong historical presence. If you want to step back in time and run with a group who run for the sake of running. Come run and make friends with a Cuban who is running with no shoes. This is a hard race - not flat, warm temperatures and high humidity.

The experience of a lifetime. 2002. A windy, rainy day, waves crashing over the Malecon seawall. A cornucopia of runners, mainly Cuban but also from many other countries. The wheelchairs started first. The Cuban chairs were homemade, some hardly serviceable. In a beautiful act of reaching out across the sea of political bullshit, an American gave (not loaned) his chair to a Cuban athlete. This gesture marked the atmostphere of the entire race. I ran with Cubans in every possible attire, including some with no shoes, but united by their love of running (most winning finishers were Cuban). Many went out of their way to extend friendship and generosity to me and other foreigners. Race organizers were low on technical gadgets (the finishers clock was not waterproof and had to be moved inside) but high on competent race direction. There were hundreds of volunteers managing the course and handing out endless supplies of cut oranges (so much more refreshing than packets of chemicals) and little plastic sacks of water (which you could bite a corner off and easily drink while running!). One ill-dressed woman I ran next to was cradling her water sack. In my limited Spanish, I tried to tell her she should drink it, not save it. She thought I wanted it and tried to give it to me! Late in the race, my husband ran alongside a struggling Cuban man and tried to encourage him. The man reached out and grabbed his hand for comfort and they ran holding hands for a quite a while until the runner recovered his spirits and, with a smile and nod of his head, took off on his own. After the race, most foreigners took off their running shoes and pressed them upon their Cuban counterparts, whose shoes were in dreadful condition. I've never had so many tears in my eyes during a race. It was the human-ness of it all that was so overwhelming. The Cubans didn't have much in the way of material goods, but dammit, they were good runners and won nearly every race category. As far as the course is concerned, it was a spectacular run through old Havana and along the seawall. Spectators were enthusiastic, but don't look for huge crowds. There is no expo--everything is simple and focussed on the race. Make sure you go to the awards ceremony, particularly if you have ever decried the commercialization of athletics. It's held in a gym dedicated to Boy Chocolate, a famous Cuban boxer, and decorated with the flags of nations, including the U.S. --prizes are very modest but the spirit is wonderful. Foreigners pay to enter the race; it's free for Cubans and the government provides bus transportation for them from their towns. The marathon is part of a week-long celebration of athletics for the population, with events taking place all over the island. If you go, venture out and see the country--Havana's great but it's only a tiny part of Cuba. We hope to go back. NB: in case there are any INS agents out there, we went with a valid license under the auspices of Global Exchange. Unfortunately, our 'freedom-loving' government has now forbidden such trips.

It was wet, very windy and waves broke over the seawall. The second loop part of the road was flooded. Later in the afternoon the coast road was closed due to flooding. One pair of toilets for the loop. The timing system broke down so everyone [after 2.21 or so] has the same time. For the last 3-4miles, no traffic control. On a positive side, I did not get sunburnt. For all that, a great way to see Havana, but be prepared.

The race was a great way to see Havana. However, it was a two lap marathon that was not well marked. By the second lap, Havana had awoken and you were running with buses and cars. There were no clocks or time breakdowns. There is a chip for time, but wasn't distributed to all the runners before the start of the race. There were few cheering spectators.