Marlies Mejias Wins Women’s Road Race Gold at Santo Domingo 2026

Twelve years after taking her title in Veracruz back in 2014, Marlies Mejías is once again a Centroamerican road race champion. The 33-year-old Cuban star delivered a tactical masterclass on Saturday during the women’s road competition at the XV Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, crossing the finish line first with her arms raised to cement her status among the region’s elite cyclists.

The 123.8-Kilometer Battle Along the Malecón

The grueling race covered eight laps of a demanding circuit spanning 123.8 kilometers through the Centro de los Héroes and the Malecón of Santo Domingo. Mejías spent the afternoon embedded in a resilient lead group of roughly 18 riders that featured competitors from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica.

Early in the event, Dominican rider María Mirabal launched a solo breakaway, spending the first two laps out front. But the powerhouse leading group reeled her in by the third lap, setting the stage for a dramatic tactical struggle across the remaining distance.

As the pack approached the final stretch, Mejías made her decisive move. She seized second position entering the final corner, leaving behind the Malecón to surge down the Avenida de las Naciones. She noted about the race’s closing seconds that although she tried to prevent the second group from catching up, she ended up having to work a bit, and affirmed that when she took the second curve, she told herself they had already won.

A Photo Finish and the Podium in Santo Domingo

Mejías stopped the clock at 3:10:32 hours, prevailing in a fierce sprint finish that separated the top three competitors only by fractions or identical registered times. Teniel Campbell of Trinidad and Tobago secured the silver medal with the exact same clock reading, while Mexico’s Yareli Acevedo claimed bronze with an identical time (also reported as Yaneli Acevedo by other outlets).

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Behind the podium finishers, Lilibeth Chacón of Venezuela, Diana Peñuela of Colombia, and Yendry Quezada of Costa Rica rounded out the top six positions. Four Dominican cyclists also completed the punishing course, led by Mirabal in 17th place, followed by Raquel Restituyo in 25th, Malsey Pérez in 29th, and Flor Espiritusanto in 36th.

Marlies Mejías, Cuban cyclist, stated via Diario Libre that winning the gold medal again here in the Dominican Republic was a great honor for her, adding that the competition was very demanding, the group of cyclists was of brilliant quality, and it was necessary to give it everything.

Double Gold and a Historic Palmarès

Saturday’s triumph marks Mejías’s second gold medal of the XXV Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe. Sara Roel of Mexico took silver in that event at 40:33.51, while Campbell earned bronze at 40:59.31.

With her latest victories, the Artemisa native from Güira de Melena elevates her career medal count to 10 preseas in her regional tournament history, adding to a storied athletic background that includes pan-American medals, national titles, and elite competition experience with the Virginia’s Blue Ridge team.

What Lies Ahead on the Regional Calendar

Having delivered Cuba’s inaugural gold medal of the Games, Mejías turns her ambitions toward international competition. Her upcoming schedule features the Track Cycling World Championships, followed by the broader pathway toward the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, competition in Santo Domingo continues immediately. The men’s road race is scheduled to start on Sunday morning from the Centro de los Héroes, sending riders along Avenida George Washington toward a turnaround at the Club Casa de España across a 169.5-kilometer course spanning 11 laps.