La Ruta Maya is a four day canoe race which travels 175 miles down the Macal and Belize Rivers. The race has been held each March since 1998, and coincides with the annual Baron Bliss Day celebrations. The underlying concept of the race is to promote environmental awareness, while at the same time creating an intense competition for seasoned and amateur athletes alike.

Each year hundreds of spectators line the river banks, anxiously waiting to cheer on their favorite team, and this year was no different. On March 9th 93 male, female, and mixed teams began the grueling journey from under the Hawksworth Bridge in San Ignacio, Cayo. The river tested the spirit, stamina, and skills of the paddlers, but it was Team Belize Bank that paddled away with top honours.

Competition in this year’s race was strong; the finish of the race was one of the closest ever as Team Belize Bank made a courageous sprint over Belize Natural Energy under the Belcan Bridge to win the last leg of the four day race as well as the overall championship.

Team Belize Bank’s three-man team of Armin Lopez, Daniel Cruz, and Amado Cruz took home the Kinch Ahau first place trophy for the second consecutive year. Team captain Armin Lopez has participated in nine Ruta Maya Races and has won seven under different sponsorship. Team Belize Bank started training for the race in December 2007, and practiced paddling along the same routes as the actual race three days a week. During the four days of the race, the team was serviced by staff members of the Bank.

The teams sponsored by Belize Natural Energy and Fruta Bomba came in second and third place respectively. Held in the spirit of preservation and revitalization of Belize’s precious waterways, proceeds from the race are donated to local environmental groups working towards the preservation of the Belize River Valley and hundreds of acres of rainforests. The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge has become one of the most popular sporting events countrywide.

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