Government
telephone company team at 2012
race.
La Ruta Maya Belize Canoe Race and Route
The annual Ruta Maya Canoe Race
brings together professional and
amateur paddlers from Central and
North America and Europe every
March.
The annual La Ruta Maya Belize
Endurance Canoe race is the longest
race of its kind in Central America.
One hundred and seventy miles of
paddling on the Belize River over the
course of 4 days. The race gets
underway in San Ignacio Town Cayo
District just under the Hawksworth
Bridge. Between 90 and 100 teams
from Belize, U.S.A., Canada, Japan,
the U. K. and other countries
participate.
Starting at 7 in the morning, the
paddlers are challenged by rapids, low
areas that require them to physically
carry their canoes for short distances
as well as winds as they near the
Caribbean Sea.
The start of the race sees hundreds
of locals and visitors trooping to
the banks of the Macal River - a
beautiful sight in the early morning
mist. A local marimba band is in
attendance and paddlers take last-minute practice runs and swap
tips about tricky spots on the river to
avoid.
Everyone is welcomed, from pros
intent on winning to those just
wishing to be in the race for
recreation.
The race was the idea of a local fruit
juice company, Cayo Tropical Fruits
that sponsored and organized the race
from its inception. But in 2014 on the
16th anniversary of the race, it fell
under the patronage of the local beer
monopoly, Belikin. Canoe teams are
sponsored by various businesses and
educational institutions. The winning
teams are the best trained and
equipped. Kevlar appears to be the
material of choice for canoes. But
many canoes are carved or made
from exotic hardwoods.
The La Ruta Maya River Challenge
has now become a major public and
tourist attraction especially as March
9th Baron Bliss Day is a Public and
Bank Holiday. The race rivals other
Belize Sailing events such as the Baron
Bliss Harbour Regatta. The event
is open to the general public and everyone is invited to to enjoy
fun filled days with food, live
entertainment, games, prizes and of
course close up of views of the
action as the race passes populated
areas.
The annual Ruta Maya Belize
Canoe Race brings together
professional and amateur paddlers
from Central and North America
and Europe every March.
The annual Ruta Maya Canoe Race
brings together professional and amateur paddlers from Central and
North America and Europe every
March.
All teams consist of three members
who must be aboard the canoe at the
start of the race and no substitutions
are allowed once the race has started.
The race is divided into the following
classes. Male, Female, Mixed (male
and female), Masters (over 40
years of age) and may include mix
of male and female. Open canoes
with a maximum length of 20 feet
constructed of any material and by any
method are allowed to compete.
For safety reasons the canoe must
provide at least 25 pounds of
buoyancy when swamped. Propulsion
is manual, human muscle powered
with single blade paddles only.
Timing for determining a winner is on
an elapsed time basis.
Many locals and tourists intercept
the race along strategic observation
points on the river bank. Villages along
the route, such as Burrel Boom hold
fairs and open markets with music and
other entertainment during the race.
The country's first colonial settlements
started on the banks of the Belize
River as this was the main means of
transport in days past.
The Cayo Boats that steamed up
and down the river between San Ignacio and Belize City on the
Caribbean Sea would take up a week
for a journey up the river - stopping
at various settlements to trade or let
off and pick up passengers. The river
also served to transport the many
thousands of exotic hardwood trees
such as mahogany which were
exploited by the British colonizers.
The trees were cut down, then floated
down the river and trapped by heavy
chains called "booms" where they
were collected before continuing their
journey to Belize City to be sent off
to England. One such place was
Burrel Boom, a village of great beauty
in the Belize District.
Awards to the racers are issued at
the official ceremonies which take
place around midday in Belize City
which is the final leg of the race. All
the winners are presented with cash
and trophy awards and honored for
their hard work.
Belize Ruta Maya Race Schedule
Day 1 - Race starts in San Ignacio,
Cayo District (at 7:00 a.m.); ends in
Banana Bank, Belize District.
Day 2 - Race starts in Banana
Bank (at 6:30 a.m.); ending in Double
Head Cabbage, Belize District.
Day 3 - Race starts in Double
Head Cabbage (at 8:00 a.m.); ending
in Burrell Boom, Belize District.
Day 4 - Race starts in Burrell Boom
(at 9:00a.m.); ending at Belchina
Bridge "Finish Line" in Belize City.
The Star