Islander Jesus ‘Levi’ Contreras, the Yellow Flash of Belize, returned to Placencia, southern Belize, to defend his title at this year’s annual Placencia End of the World Marathon, which was held on Sunday, December 8th. Representing his island home with Team Splash, Contreras completed the half-marathon portion of the race in second place, with an official time of 01:14:14. George Choc followed him with a time of 01:25:17. At the same time, Albert Davis claimed first place in the half-marathon with an official clock time of 01:13:38.
This year’s event saw 315 runners, including 40 full marathoners and 275 half-marathoners. In addition to Contreras, other runners from San Pedro included Toshiya Tsujimoto, Chelsea Muñoz, Merlin Sansores, and Job Castillo.
The race began early morning at the football field in downtown Placencia. Participants headed north along the peninsula, covering Seine Bight Village and Maya Beach, before looping south past Riversdale. For those running the half marathon, the race started at the complete marathon turnaround, located south of Riversdale, and concluded back at the football field in downtown Placencia.
Runners competed in separate categories for men and women, with a minimum age requirement of 18 years for the marathon and 13 years for the half marathon. The marathon route featured hydration stations to keep participants hydrated throughout the race.
The San Pedro runners performed impressively during the event, earning recognition and medals for their efforts. Contreras mentioned that he worked hard to defend his title. Although he won the half-marathon last year, he finished in second place this time. Nevertheless, Contreras remains optimistic, stating that running is his passion and will continue training to become a stronger marathoner.
In the men’s full marathon, Mexican runner Miguel Escamilla, competing for the Westrac Slick Runners, secured first place at 2:44:03, setting a new record. Belizean Leon O’Brien followed him in second place, and Guatemalan Francisco Lima in third.
In the women’s full marathon, Belizean runner Chrystal Thomas, representing Team Splash, finished first at 3:37:38. She was closely followed by her teammate Carmen Castilla and Mexican runner Lizbeth De La Rosa.
In the female division of the half-marathon, Rosa Cruz from Mexico, representing Westrac Slick Runners, won first place with a time of 1:32:48. She was followed by Lliani Ordonez and Aimee Slagle from Belize.
The End of the World Marathon is an annual sporting event designed to raise funds for scholarships for Belizean students. Proceeds from the event support the Placencia Rotary Club‘s high school scholarship program. Organizers thank everyone who supports and participates in this annual event. They report that the scholarship program has been highly successful, with assistance extending beyond just high school students.
