Brazilian national Johnatas de Oliveira and Venezuelan national Magaly García win the CAF 2025 Marathon

Six thousand runners arrived before dawn at Los Caobos Park to take to the streets of Caracas for the ninth edition of the CAF Marathon, one of the most important sporting events in Venezuela, and Latin America and the Caribbean, which CAF has organized since 2011. 

At 5:50 in the morning, the differently- bled athletes set off for the 21K and 42K. Ten minutes later, the 39 elite athletes from 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries set off, and then it was time for the 4,000 athletes from the 21K and the 2,000 who were looking to complete the 42K.

Brazilian Johnatas de Oliveira Cruz became the winner of the CAF 2025 Marathon, by crossing the finish line in 02:18:25 seconds followed by Luis Vásquez Vega of Mexico, with a time of 02:21:43; while Venezuelan Pedro Puentes Figueroa took third place with a time of 02:24:08.

Venezuelan Magaly García took first place in the 42K women's category for the second time with a time of 02:36:44, followed by the winner of the eighth edition of CAF’s Marathon, Colombian Lina Pantoja, with a time of 02:37:19, while Bolivian Jhoselyn Camargo, holder of nine national records in her country, reached the finish line in third place with a time of 02:38:19.

Venezuelan Juan Valladares, five-time winner of the CAF Half Marathon for people with limited mobility, won the CAF Marathon for the second consecutive year in this category, with a time of 01:49:10, setting a new record. He was followed by the Spaniard Rafael Botello (01:54:57) and the Venezuelan Dennys Rosales (03:01:05).

Moreover, Venezuelan Yenny Ruza, winner of all editions of the CAF Half Marathon for persons with limited mobility, and of the first edition in the 42K, was crowned two-time champion of the category with a time of 03:19:06, setting a new record. She was followed by Costa Rican Heidy Arias with 03:31:38 and Venezuelan Zorianny Reyes with 04:13:43.

CAF’s Executive Vice President, Gianpiero Leoncini, said that “CAF's alliance with private companies, national and local authorities and civil society to hold this sporting event is an example of how we should work in Latin America and the Caribbean to foster development and well-being.”

The Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming at CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean-, Christian Asinelli, said, “the runners' spirit of improvement pushes us as a development bank to do more in the tenth edition. To enlist the participation of more women, more elite athletes, more athletes with reduced mobility, more runners and more countries, to continue organizing this popular festival for the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The president of the CAF Marathon Organizing Committee, Marisol Barrera, highlighted that the podium of all 42K races was occupied by 8 member countries of the organization. “This confirms that our Marathon is a symbol of Latin American and Caribbean integration and even Ibero-American integration with the incorporation of Spain for the first time.”

For his part, Juan Rujano, president of the Venezuelan Paralympic Committee and general director of the National Institute of Sport, congratulated the wheelchair athletes who participated in this ninth edition and highlighted that 40% of those registered for the CAF Caracas Marathon 2025 were women, making increasing progress in gender equality in this event.”

The secretary of the Venezuelan Athletics Federation, Daniza Soldo, highlighted that “CAF Marathon is the most important athletics event in the country, and for this reason on this occasion, it will be part of the official classification of the Venezuelan representatives to obtain their place in the wider Bolivarian games.”

CAF Half Marathon 2025 Winners

 Venezuelan Joselyn Brea became three-time consecutive CAF Half Marathon champion by finishing in 01:17:48, followed by fellow countrymen María Garrido with a time of 01:17:56 and Roselvys Moreno with 01:20:16.

Colombian José Mauricio González, repeated for the third consecutive year as winner of the 21K CAF Marathon, with a time of 01:05:44, followed by Venezuelans Whinton Palma (01:05:57) and Carlos Briceño (01:08:01).

In the men's reduced mobility category of the 21K, Colombian Alexis Cabarcas (01:00:43) was the winner, followed by Venezuelans Jesús Aguilar (01:04:51) and Héctor Corredor (01:07:00).

The CAF Marathon successfully met the high standards of a world-class event, registering a record participation of elite runners, with a total of 39 athletes from 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, runners from almost 25 countries and almost 2,663 athletes from the interior of the country.