On Sunday, October 13th, island runner Jesus ‘Levi’ Contreras (The Flash of Belize) participated in a 10-mile off-road race in Independence Village in the southern Stann Creek District. Contreras, who ran under team Splash Elite Runner, gave his all and crossed the finish line, claiming second place.
The Yajri Cross Country race started at 6AM from the village, heading out on the Southern Highway. Contreras said the competition began with a dash as many runners took the lead in the first miles of the race. The island athlete was one of the lead runners, which resulted in him winning station prizes.
As the race made a loop returning to Independence, runner Leon Obrian took the lead, followed by Contreras. Despite giving his all, the island race star could not close the gap between him and Obrian. At the end of the race, Obrian crossed the finish line in first place with a clock time of 00:59:55. Contreras took second place with a clock time of 01:03:33, and runner Albert Davis finished in third place with a clock time of 01:05:15. Contreras shared that all top winners competed under the Splash Elite Runner team.
Contreras said he will continue training harder to excel in these competitions. The island runner previously competed in the Belize City half-marathon on September 29th, finishing fourth place. Contreras said he was not happy with that performance and prepared for the Yajri Cross Country. “I came into this race very confident and hungry for victory, taking second place,” he said. He plans to top any upcoming race to overcome the Belize City performance.
One of the upcoming competitions is the annual End of the World half-marathon held in Placencia Village. He is the reigning champion of this race, having won the marathon last year with a finishing time of 1:18:33, making his home island of San Pedro Town very proud.
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