Emma Cabrera Palafox (born 5 May 1964) is a Mexican former long-distance runner who competed mainly in marathon. She was a two-time champion at the Central American and Caribbean Games and once at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics. She was a bronze medallist at the 1995 Pan American Games. Her personal best was 2:35:43 hours.

Emma Cabrera
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Mexico
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Mar del Plata Marathon
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place 1993 Ponce Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1998 Maracaibo Marathon
Central American and Caribbean Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Guatemala City Half marathon

Career

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Born in Carboneras near Mineral del Chico,[1] Cabrera had her first sub-three hour marathon in 1991, finishing the Houston Marathon in 2:53:54 hours.[2] Her international career flourished that decade, starting with a gold medal at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games in a games record time of 2:42:29 hours.[3] Her global debut followed at the 1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, where she was 60th overall. She ran her marathon best that year – 2:35:43 hours for runner-up at the Monterrey Marathon.[2]

Her highest level medal came at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, where she was the bronze medallist in the marathon.[4] She won two further regional titles in the 1990s: she topped the half marathon podium at the 1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics before defending her regional marathon crown at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games.[5]

Cabrera was the 1996 winner of the Marine Corps Marathon in a time of 2:48:34 hours, becoming only the second non-American woman to win the race. Among other circuit wins were the Mexico City Marathon in 1994, and three career wins at both the Ciudad de Merida Marathon and the Trabajadores Marathon in Mexico City.[2] She won one national title, coming first in the 10,000 metres at the Mexican Athletics Championships in 1997.[6]

After her career peak, she continued to compete into her fifties and in 2014 completed her 100th half marathon.

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
1993 Central American and Caribbean Games Ponce, Puerto Rico 1st Marathon 2:42:29
1994 World Half Marathon Championships Oslo, Norway 60th Half marathon 1:15:14
1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships Guatemala City, Guatemala 1st Half marathon 1:17:13
Pan American Games Mar del Plata, Argentina 3rd Marathon 2:46:36
1996 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., United States 1st Marathon 2:48:34
1998 Central American and Caribbean Games Maracaibo, Venezuela 1st Marathon 2:57:49

References

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  1. ^ Apizaquense Emma Cabrera será homenajeada en el Edomex (in Spanish). El Sol de Tlaxcala (2011-04-09). Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
  2. ^ a b c Emma Cabrera Palafox. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
  3. ^ Central American and Caribbean Games (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
  4. ^ Pan American Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
  5. ^ Central American and Caribbean Championships (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
  6. ^ Mexican Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-28.
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