Emma Cabrera Palafox (born 5 May 1964) is a Mexican former

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who competed mainly in

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. 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 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake strike ...

. Her personal best was 2:35:43 hours.

Career

Born in Carboneras near

Mineral del Chico Mineral del Chico () is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 118.2 km². As of 2010, the municipality had a total population of 7,980. Geography Climate See ...

, Cabrera had her first sub-three hour marathon in 1991, finishing the Houston Marathon in 2:53:54 hours. Her international career flourished that decade, starting with a gold medal at the

1993 Central American and Caribbean Games The 17th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. The Games were held 19–30 November 1993, and included 3,570 athletes from 31 nations. History of the 1993 Games Organization and planning The ...

in a games record time of 2:42:29 hours. Her global debut followed at the

1994 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 3rd IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on September 24, 1994, in Oslo, Norway. A total of 214 athletes, 127 men and 87 women, from 48 countries took part. Complete results were published. Medallists Race Results Men's Wome ...

, where she was 60th overall. She ran her marathon best that year – 2:35:43 hours for runner-up at the Monterrey Marathon. Her highest level medal came at the

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" is a s ...

, where she was the bronze medallist in the marathon. 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 The 1995 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics were held at the Estadio La Pedrera in Guatemala City, Guatemala between 14–16 July. Medal summary Men's events Women's events A = affected by altitude † = non-champion ...

before defending her regional marathon crown at the

1998 Central American and Caribbean Games 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

. 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 The Mexico City Marathon ( es, Maratón Internacional de la Ciudad de México) is an annual road running event over the marathon distance which is held on the streets of Mexico City in late August or early September that in 2018 received IAAF ...

in 1994, and three career wins at both the Ciudad de Merida Marathon and the Trabajadores Marathon in Mexico City.Emma Cabrera Palafox

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

. Retrieved on 2016-02-28. She won one national title, coming first in the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship level events. The race ...

at the Mexican Athletics Championships in 1997.Mexican Championships
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-02-28. After her career peak, she continued to compete into her fifties and in 2014 completed her 100th half marathon.

International competitions

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabrera, Emma Living people 1964 births Sportspeople from Hidalgo (state) Mexican female long-distance runners Mexican female marathon runners Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 1995 Pan American Games Pan American Games bronze medalists for Mexico Central American and Caribbean Games gold medalists for Mexico Competitors at the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games Competitors at the 1998 Central American and Caribbean Games Central American and Caribbean Games medalists in athletics Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games 20th-century Mexican women