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. [1] The course runs from the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio to the Belcan Bridge in Belize City, a distance of 180 miles (290 km). [1] It is held each year in March and is scheduled to coincide with the weekend of Baron Bliss Day. [2]
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. [3] About 50 teams now compete each year. [4]
| Year | Winning team | Total time | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Snooty Fox | 20:50:58 | [5] |
| 1999 | Cheers | 22:01:15 | [5] |
| 2000 | Black Rock | 22:31:56 | [5] |
| 2001 | Koop Sheet Metal | 20:13:56 | [6] |
| 2002 | Koop Sheet Metal | 18:17:37 | [6] |
| 2003 | The H Team | 19:15:23 | [6] |
| 2004 | Quality Poultry | [7] | |
| 2005 | Com Get Mi (Big H) | 19:19:10 | [6] |
| 2006 | Belize Bank | 17:50:23 | [8] |
| 2007 | Belize Bank | 17:55:34 | [8] |
| 2008 | CPBL Caribbean Pride | 17:22:33 | [8] |
| 2009 | Belize Bank – Tek it Back | 17:54:05 | [8] |
| 2010 | Ziprider | 18:41:07 | [8] |
| 2011 | Ziprider | 18:00:04 | [9] [10] |
| 2012 | Belize Bank Bulldogs | 16:36:03 | [9] [11] |
| 2013 | Belize Bank Bulldogs | 18:31:21 | [9] [12] |
| 2014 | Belize Bank Bulldogs | 17:25:13 | [9] [13] |
| 2015 | BTL Cobb's Arm | 17:35:27 | [9] [14] |
| 2016 | Koop Sheet Metal | 17:08:46 | [15] |
| 2017 | NICH | 17:50:40 | [16] |
| 2018 | Koop Sheet Metal | 17:08:50 | [4] [17] |
| 2019 | NICH | 18:22:11 | [18] [19] |
| 2020 | CORE | 18:10:19 | [20] |
| 2021 | NO RACE | ||
| 2022 | Team PACT | 18:14:39 | [21] |
| 2023 | Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb | 18:18;36 |
Belize is a Central American country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a water boundary with Honduras to the southeast. It has an area of 22,970 square kilometres (8,867 sq mi) and a population of 441,471 (2022). Its mainland is about 290 km (180 mi) long and 110 km (68 mi) wide. It is the least populated and least densely populated country in Central America. Its population growth rate of 1.87% per year is the second-highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is the namesake city of Belize City. Belize is often thought of as a Caribbean country in Central America because it has a history similar to that of English-speaking Caribbean nations. Indeed, Belize's institutions and official language reflect its history as a British colony.
Belize City is the largest city in Belize. It was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 61,461 people. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, which is a distributary of the Belize River. The Belize River empties into the Caribbean Sea eight kilometres from Belize City on the Philip Goldson Highway on the coast of the Caribbean. The city is the country's principal port and its financial and industrial hub. Cruise ships drop anchor outside the port and are tendered by local citizens. The city was almost entirely destroyed in October 1961 when Hurricane Hattie swept ashore. It was the capital of British Honduras until the government was moved to the new capital of Belmopan in 1970.
Toledo District is the southernmost and least populated district in Belize. Punta Gorda is the District capital. According to the Human Development Index (HDI), it is the second most developed region in the country. The district has a diverse topography which features rainforests, extensive cave networks, coastal lowland plains, and offshore cays. Toledo is home to a wide range of cultures such as Mopan, Kekchi Maya, Creole, Garifuna, East Indians, Mennonites, Mestizos, and descendants of US Confederate settlers.
Belikin is the leading domestically produced beer brand in Belize.
Ambergris Caye, is the largest island of Belize, located northeast of the country's mainland, in the Caribbean Sea. It is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long from north to south, and about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) wide. Where it has not been modified by humans, it is mostly a ring of white sand beach around mangrove swamp in the centre. Though administered as part of the Belize District, the closest point on the mainland is part of the Corozal District.
Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, 4th Baron Bliss, commonly known as Baron Bliss, was a British-born traveller who willed nearly two million Belize dollars to a trust fund for the benefit of the citizens of what was then the colony of British Honduras, now Belize.
Sports have had an important role in Belizean culture. While Belize has never been an international sporting power, the nation's athletes have had some international success. Sports in the country are plagued by a lack of finance and sporting facilities, and there is little emphasis on sports as an integral part of national culture and pride. Nevertheless, sports continue to bring Belizeans together on and off the field.
Caye Caulker Airport is an airport that serves the island of Caye Caulker, 20 kilometres (12 mi) off the coast of Belize. After Maya Island Air and Tropic Air suspended service to Caye Caulker in 2017 due to the dangerous condition of the runway, the airport underwent a BZ$3.6 million renovation that included asphalt pavement and runway lighting.
Miss Belize is a national beauty pageant in Belize. The pageant was founded in 1975, where the winners were sent to Miss Universe.
Baron Bliss Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Belize City. Established in 1885 on the former site of a Spanish fortress which was extremely damaged after the Battle of St. George's Caye in September 1798, it has a focal plane of 16 m (52 ft) and is painted white and red. It is named after one of Belize's greatest benefactors, Baron Bliss, who is known to have never actually set foot on Belizean shores but was impressed with the people's warm hospitality. He was a sailor and fisherman who traveled the world aboard his yacht the "Sea King". On March 9, 1926, Baron Bliss died leaving instructions that he be buried in a granite tomb near the sea, enclosed with an iron fence with a lighthouse built nearby. This is why this monument was constructed and also at the location where it stands today.
The 2013–14 Premier League of Belize was the third season of the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011. There were two seasons which are spread over two years, the opening and the closing.
The 2014–15 Premier League of Belize was the fourth season of the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011. There were two seasons which were spread over two years, the opening and the closing.
The 2015–16 AHL season was the 80th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 9, 2015, and ended on April 17, 2016. The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs follow the conclusion of the regular season. An attendance record was set with a league average of 5,982 spectators per game, surpassing the record set in 2004–05.
Rosita Baltazar was a Belizean choreographer, dancer, dance instructor and founding assistant director of the Belize National Dance Company. In 2004, she was awarded the Lord Rhaburn Music Award as a dance ambassador and in 2009 she received the Chatoyer Recognition Award from the National Garifuna Council of Belize for her efforts at preserving Garifuna culture.
Belize National Dance Company is a Belizean cultural preservation organization which strives to represent Belize and its many ethnic groups in classical, contemporary and traditional folk dancing.
The 2017–18 Premier League of Belize was the seventh season of the highest competitive football league in Belize, after it was founded in 2011. There were two seasons which were spread over two years. The opening was played towards the end of 2017 and the closing was played at the beginning of 2018.
Haulover Creek is a coastal stream that runs through the center of Belize City and discharges into the Caribbean Sea. It is known for being the inlet of the Belize River, and separating the northern and southern areas of Belize City. There are multiple bridges built across it such as the Swing Bridge (Belize), which is the oldest of its kind in Central America, and the Belcan Bridge, which is used as the finishing line for the annual La Ruta Maya river challenge.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Belize refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Belize. The first branch was organized in Belize City in 1980. In 2021, there were 5,519 members in 12 congregations.
Destiny Evelyn Wagner is a Belizean author, television host, digital influencer, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Earth 2021. She is the first Belizean to win the Miss Earth title, and the first to win one of the four major international beauty pageant titles.
