The Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is an annual 4-day canoe marathon held in Belize. It is considered the biggest sporting event in the country, and typically attracts thousands of spectators. The course runs from the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio to the Belcan Bridge in Belize City, a distance of . It is held each year in March and is scheduled to coincide with the weekend of Baron Bliss Day.
History The event was first proposed by Richard Harrison, a Belizean investor, as a way to promote a new brand of bottled water. Harrison put together a committee to organize the event and found additional sponsors for services and prizes. Although the original purpose of the race was commercial, Harrison also saw it as an opportunity to raise awareness about the environment and the history and culture of the Belize River. The first race included 31 teams and was won by the Hobb brothers from Bullet Tree Falls. About 50 teams now compete each year.
Results Year Winning team Total time References 1998 Snooty Fox 20:50:58 1999 Cheers 22:01:15 2000 Black Rock 22:31:56 2001 Koop Sheet Metal 20:13:56 2002 Koop Sheet Metal 18:17:37 2003 The H Team 19:15:23 2004 Quality Poultry 18:25:17 2005 Com Get Mi (Big H) 19:19:10 2006 Belize Bank 17:50:23 2007 Belize Bank 17:55:34 2008 CPBL Caribbean Pride 17:22:33 2009 Belize Bank – Tek it Back 17:54:05 2010 Ziprider 18:41:07 2011 Ziprider 18:00:04 2012 Belize Bank Bulldogs 16:36:03 2013 Belize Bank Bulldogs 18:31:21 2014 Belize Bank Bulldogs 17:25:13 2015 BTL Cobb's Arm 17:35:27 2016 Koop Sheet Metal 17:08:46 2017 NICH 17:50:40 2018 Koop Sheet Metal 17:08:50 2019 NICH 18:22:11 2020 CORE 18:10:19 2021NO RACE2022Team PACT18:14:392023Slim & Trim Like Guava Limb18:18:362024Slim & Trim Like Guava Limb18:24:222025Slim & Trim Like Guava Limb18:09:222026PACT on Trak17:45:34
References
External links
Official website Facebook page