Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico shine in 4x400 relays at Santo Domingo 2026 athletics, while Mexico dominates marathon and race walking

Marileidy Paulino once again proved why she is the undisputed queen of Dominican tracks. But this time she didn't run alone: she carried an entire country on her shoulders toward gold in the mixed 4x400 relay. Just meters away, Puerto Rico was writing its own story with a national record of 3:00.75 in the men's relay, a mark that in any international competition would make more than a few favorites nervous. And while the baton exchanges set the stadium on fire, Mexico was building silently—or rather, at the stroke of heel and toe—an empire in race walking events, with Sofía Ramos taking the women's marathon in 3h52:18. Three stories, one same message: the Caribbean and Central America are running (and walking) toward Los Angeles 2028 with a seriousness that cannot be ignored.

The context

The Central American and Caribbean Games are much more than a regional competition: they are the real thermometer of the talent we later see shining at World Championships and Olympic Games. Since 1926, this multisport event brings together more than 30 countries and territories in the region, and in athletics it functions as a perfect showcase to measure the level being developed heading into major events.

The mixed 4x400 relay, a relatively recent format in the international calendar (it debuted at Tokyo 2021), demands something that few events require: gender strategy. Teams must decide the order of male and female runners to maximize results, which turns the event into a tactical puzzle as interesting as it is physical. Dominican Republic taking gold with Paulino as a key piece is no surprise—she is the world record holder in the 400m—but it confirms that the Dominican team has depth, not just one star.

Puerto Rico, for its part, broke its own historical ceiling. A national record in a men's relay is not achieved by luck: it requires four athletes running their best version on the same day, at the same moment, under pressure.

And then there's Mexico, which continues reaffirming something the athletics world already knows: in race walking and road endurance events, Mexican athletes compete with a different competitive genetics, forged at altitude and with a tradition that produces Olympic medalists generation after generation.

What the science says

What separates a champion relay from one that falls short is not just pure speed, but effort management under accumulated fatigue. The science of pacing—how we distribute our energy throughout a race—is key even in short events like the 4x400, where each runner must calculate exactly how much to "spend" in their 400 meters knowing there is no room for a second attempt (Azevedo et al., 2021, European Journal of Applied Physiology).

In the case of the race walking and marathon events that Mexico dominated, pacing is even more decisive. A study published in Medicina (Kaunas) analyzed pacing variables in the marathon and confirmed that elite athletes who maintain greater consistency in their rhythm—avoiding sharp drops in the final kilometers—achieve better final results (Cuk et al., 2024). This applies perfectly to the race walking marathon: disciplines where technique and energy efficiency weigh as much as cardiovascular endurance.

Furthermore, we cannot ignore the heat factor. Santo Domingo, with its humid Caribbean climate, demands a real physiological adaptation. Evidence shows that heat acclimatization directly improves endurance performance, optimizing plasma volume and sweating capacity (Lorenzo, Halliwill & Sawka, 2010, Journal of Applied Physiology). Mexican and Caribbean athletes who train regularly in similar climates carry a physiological advantage over rivals from temperate climates.

What it means for you

You don't need to compete for a Central American medal to apply these lessons to your own training:

• Train your pacing with intention. Not just in the marathon: even in short repeats, practice going out controlled and finishing strong. It's a trainable skill, not just talent.
• If you run in hot and humid climates, give your body time. Heat acclimatization takes between 7 and 14 days of progressive exposure. Don't underestimate that process before an important race in tropical weather.
• Endurance is not just aerobic, it's also hydration-based. Relay runners and distance race walkers lose electrolytes differently depending on intensity and duration; adjust your hydration to your specific event, not a generic formula (Shirreffs & Sawka, 2011).
• Look beyond the podium. Puerto Rico breaking a national record in relays reminds us that collective progress—teams, clubs, running communities—builds better individual athletes.

References

• Azevedo RA, Silva-Cavalcante MD, Lima-Silva AE. "Fatigue development and perceived response during self-paced endurance exercise: state-of-the-art review." European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2021. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33389141/
• Cuk I, Markovic S, Weiss K. "Running Variability in Marathon-Evaluation of the Pacing Variables." Medicina (Kaunas), 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38399506/
• Lorenzo S, Halliwill JR, Sawka MN. "Heat acclimation improves exercise performance." Journal of Applied Physiology