Ruta Maya race kicks off at Hawksworth

Not all of this weekend’s action on the water will take place in Belize City harbor. The first leg of La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge got underway early this morning below the Hawksworth Bridge in Cayo. The four-day canoe race runs from San Ignacio all the way down the Belize River to Belize City. Close to fifty teams are competing in the class A and class B categories for over fifteen thousand dollars in cash and prizes. Each night the canoeists will make camp along the riverbank. Tonight they will stop at Banana Bank, Saturday night at Bermudian Landing and Sunday night will find them in Burrell Boom. The race ends Monday morning at the Belcan Bridge. This is the second year for the event and it is chaired by Cayo’s Richard Harrison.

Richard Harrison, Race Chairman

“We have 54 canoes registered in this race: 42 in the professional category going for the $15,000 prizes, station prizes all along the way. All the villages basically have a station prize. And we have 12 amateur teams who are going for gift prizes, contributed by different restaurants, like dinners for 2 or 3 and things like that. This is a new sport; a lot of people who never were sportsmen or recognized as people who could be heroes – they are out here today. They are on the water. People are here from Gales Point, from Punta Gorda, from Mexico. I would like you to see the guys from Mexico; they will have the Colombian Embassy here; we have guys from UNHCR, British guys, the Irish team, the clover team; and teams from all over San Ignacio and all over Belize.”

Organizing sponsor of the race is Big H, makers of juice and Vida Purified Water. Defending champions are the Hob brothers of Bullet Tree, sponsored by the Snooty Fox. Three-member teams from Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico and the U.S.A. are joining Belizean paddlers from all over the mainland and cayes. We’ll have more on La Ruta Maya River Challenge next week.