Jesus “Levi” Contreras, widely known as the “Yellow Flash of Belize,” won the End of the World half-marathon in Placencia, southern Belize, for the second time on Saturday, December 7th. Contreras captured the Male Category after completing the 13.1 mile course, which he first conquered in 2023. The runner, who placed second last year, said he prepared more intensely for this year’s edition of the annual event.
This 14th End of the World race began at 5:30AM with 333 runners registered for the half-marathon and 62 participants taking on the full-marathon distance of 26.2 miles. The course started at the football field in downtown Placencia and headed north along the peninsula, covering Seine Bight and Maya Beach before looping south of Riversdale. The half-marathon started from the turnaround point and finished back at the football field in Placencia. Runners competed in male and female categories, with age brackets ranging from 18 to over 60 for the full marathon and from 13 to over 60 for the half marathon. The scenic route offered views of the Placencia coastline and included hydration stations along the way.
Contreras, representing San Pedro Town, was joined by several island runners who returned home with medals. Participants included former Miss San Pedro Chelsea Muñoz, Brandon Santos, Elwin Glenn, Jonathan Andino, and Juli Trejo. Contreras placed first in the half-marathon with an official time of 1:21:18. He told The Sun that he plans to run one more half-marathon before attempting the full marathon in 2027. “Next year I will focus only on 5K and 10K races, especially outside of the country,” Contreras said. He also hopes to compete in Mexico, Guatemala, and other Central American countries, and shared that his next major goal is qualifying for the Central American Games. Contreras has continued to build his running career by winning 5K and 10K races across Belize while inspiring other island athletes.
The End of the World Marathon and Half Marathon is held annually to raise scholarship funds. All proceeds go toward the Placencia Rotary Club’s high school scholarship programme, which has expanded to support students at tertiary and vocational institutions.
The San Pedro Sun congratulates Levi Contreras and all San Pedro runners for their dedication to sport and outstanding performance.
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