Dreams and Realities of a Belizean: RUTA MAYA 2016

Monday, March 14, 2016

RUTA MAYA 2016

RUTA MAYA CHALLENGE 2016 WAS THE EVENT OF THE YEAR. THANKS TO JEMY CHI AND CARLOS NET ACOSTA FOR THE PHOTOS POSTED HERE OF THIS YEAR'S EVENT.

A gruelling multi-day canoe race travelling a perilous river route across the country of Belize. The route runs West to East along the Macal and Belize Rivers, once the only link between beautiful San Ignacio, and the bustling port of Belize City.

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.

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.