Yuleidi La O

Havana, Jun 19 (JIT) - The Marabana 2023 champion, Yuleidi La O Terrero, traveled to Germany to participate there on June 22 in the 7th edition of the Remmers-Hasetal-Marathon, hosted by the city of Loningen.

"La O complies with the invitation made to the winner of the Marabana Marathon 2023," Carlos Gattorno Correa, director of the National Commission of Marabana-Maracuba Races and Walks (CNCC), told JIT.

The executive meant that the Holguin-born La O will compete invited by MD Projektmanagement, Marabana's sponsor, which is headed by Michael Diegman.

"I will be in the half marathon. I know it's difficult, but I will work to get on the podium," he told JIT shortly before leaving for the venue accompanied by CNCC deputy director Juan Carlos Mesa.

"I have prepared quite well. The race is affordable, although I should run under one hour and 10 minutes," added the man who has participated in other international competitions in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Spain and the United States.

"In Martinique I came in second in a 15-kilometer race, in Guadeloupe I was third, and in Barcelona I placed 94th out of 23,000 runners in a half marathon in which there were Kenyans, Ethiopians and Eritreans," he said.

"In the United States, I participated in a 10-kilometer race in Boulder, Colorado, and won," he recalled.

A total of 2,546 runners are registered for the race in which La O will run with the bib number 145 in the over-40 category.

The Remmers-Hasetal-Marathon includes races of 5 km, 10 km, half marathon (21.1 km), the marathon (42.195 km), plus a relay race in the marathon distance.