Bolivian athlete Eduardo Aruquipa in intense training for CAF Caracas Marathon 2011

(La Paz, February 11, 2011).- Athlete Eduardo Aruquipa, who won the Bolivian representation in the CAF Caracas Marathon 2011 by taking first place in the second La Paz 3600 10K race organized by the CAF office in Bolivia, now sees international competition as a springboard for the 2012 Olympic Games to be held in London.

"The CAF marathon in Caracas fits me like a glove," the Bolivian athlete aged 28 said. He is now training physically and mentally to compete in Venezuela and improve his time on the 42 kilometers. He believes that a better first time will classify him for the Pan American championship to be held in Mexico in October and then the Olympics next year.

Aruquipa has competed in several international athletics championships, mainly in South America, and is among the top five in the region. He came first in the 15 kilometer international race in Peru, won a bronze in Colombia and in the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) where he came ninth out of 5,000 runners.

"I want to do my best representing Bolivia, and with good training. I will use the race to the maximum to set a best time for classifying and competing in other events," Aruquipa said.

The athlete said he intended to improve his time over the 42 kilometers to be one of the leaders in Latin America. "I need a lot of endurance, good food, speed and rhythm to achieve this goal," he said.

The CAF Caracas Marathon 2011 – millions of steps for Latin American integration – to be held on February 20 is an initiative of the Latin American development bank as part of the celebrations of its 40th anniversary. The event is in line with the institution’s interest in promoting social development through sports activities, and creating new opportunities for integration.

The Marathon has the backing of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) which gives the event an international character and offers athletes the opportunity to attempt the times they need to classify for other high level competitions.

The event offers over US$20,000 in prize money. Athletes are competing from Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, United States, France, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Bolivia.