La Habana CUB - Cuba's Emperatriz Wilson consolidated herself as the most decorated athlete in the Havana Marathon (Marabana) when claiming her 10th win on Sunday during the 17th edition of the race, which drew over 4.000 runners from 77 countries.

Wilson, 36, covered the 42.195km run in 2:46.20, her second best time over the testing course, less than three minutes slower than her course record of 2:43.29, set in 2001.

Eight in the 2003 Pan American Games, the national record holder defeated Yeilén García (2:47.11) and Liudmila Dubois (2:54.13), who registered personal bests.

"I am happy with my victory and the time, considering the testing course and the warm temperature, especially in the second lap. I only trained two months for this competition", said a smiling Wilson, who achieved her fourth win in the marathon, plus six titles in the half marathon since the inaugural edition in 1987.

She also won a bronze medal in the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana and the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

In the men's race, Yosbel Arboláez literally faded and fell some 50 meters from the finish line, but he recovered quickly to win in a slow 2:32.40, followed by his cousin and course record holder Alexis Cuba (2:34.01) and Angel Felipe Laudinot (2:34.09). Defending champion Angel Ferreiro finished seventh.

In the half marathon, Aguelmis Rojas and Mariela González successfully defended their titles with respective fast times of 1:04.39 y 1:15.30.

González, runnerup in the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, ran a steady pace and was never challenged after the 11th kilometer mark. She went on to win her eighth Marabana title and seven in a row since 1997.

"I did not aim to improve my own national and course record (1:14.56) as I was not fully prepared for a great performance, but my effort was rewarded with a fast time", said the tiny 29-year old runner, who aims to the make the Cuban team for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Yudelkis Fernández (1:18.03), the 10.000 meters silver medalist in Santo Domingo, and Yaremis Torres (1:18.43), were her closest rivals and both bettered their personal bests.

Aguelmis Rojas, fourth in the Pan American Games, was never challenged after the first kilometer. He kept a pace nobody could match on the way to his fourth consecutive Marabana crown, very close to his course and personal record of 1:04.10, set in 2001.

"I wanted to break the 1:04-hour barrier and smash the national best (1:03.54), but I ran alone and felt no pressure at all. The clock was my only rival", explained the 25-year old.

Norbert Gutiérrez (1:06.54) and 1999 winner Irán Trutié (1:07.06) followed Rojas home. Havana 1991 Pan American Games gold medalist Alberto Cuba, who has claimed eigth Marabana victories, finished fifth in 1:08.03. It was his first major race in two years following an hernia and pyramidal nerve operations.

The race, created in 1987, celebrated the National Day of Sports and Physical Education and the 484th anniversary of the foundation of the Cuban capital.

Top guests included Great Britain's Hugh Jones, Secretary General of the Association of Marathons and Road Races (AIMS), Mark Milde, a top Berlin marathon official, and Osvaldo Rojas, director of the road races committee in Puerto Rico. The next Marabana will be held on November 14, 2004.