Electrifying Second Annual Belize City Triathlon

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Belize City Council held its Second Annual Triathlon on Sunday in the Old Capital. At the break of dawn, swimmers, cyclists and runners gathered inside the Lord Rhaburn Plaza for the event.

 

In total, fifty-one athletes showcased their talents across five different categories. The competition featured two junior individual athletes, eight junior relay teams, seven men’s individual athletes, five men’s relay teams, and one senior mixed team. It was an exciting event with a diverse group of participants giving it their all. The event began with the swimmers taking to the water. The juniors are doing one lap towards the orange buoy near the pier and back. The seniors, including the only individual female, were required to do two laps around the entire course. Individual junior competitor Daylan Cruz is first out of the water. And Cruz was also a part of a junior relay group. He passed off one of his two-time chips to his team’s cyclist Kaille Burgess.

 

The other junior swimmers came in right behind him and one by one the junior riders began taking off from the starting line. They were required to do one lap from the start to the Pallotti High School roundabout and back. Here we see the second junior individual competitor Kyson Vernon, gearing up for the cycling leg, immediately after his swim.  He also competed in the junior relay. In the meantime, the senior individual and relay competitors are working to complete their first lap around the swimming circuit, some seemingly taking a shortcut.  There goes Kenroy ‘Smokey” Gladden, a former Lion Man, about to attempt his second lap. He is one of the seven men’s individual competitors.

 

Also competing in that category, was Kent “Bob” Gabourel, clearly winded after his first lap attempt. Behind him, the lead swimmers among the seniors. Kiluvert Cal led out of the water. He sprinted to his teammate cyclist Giovanni Lovel, passed over the time chip and Lovell was the first senior cyclist to get underway. 00:45 Swimmers Mario Cucul and Kian Trejo came behind and sent of cyclists Byron Pope and Steven Jergenson. Cucul also competed as a solo athlete. He geared up, jumped on his bike and rode off. Right behind them, out of the water is forty-four-year-old Guatemalan Triathlon Athlete Fransico Lima. He competed as a solo athlete.  The senior riders were required to do two laps around the same route as the juniors.

 

Devyn Major is the first junior relay cyclist to finish his first lap. He passed his team’s time chip to Tamia Bennett who began the last leg of the triathlon, the run. Ahmaad Cherrington, the second youth relay cyclist, finished his ride and passed the team chip to Davae McCauley. Gladden, now out of the water and hoping to gain some ground on the cycling leg. Junior rider, Kelsi Castillo completed her one lap and left the last leg in the hands of Jalen O’Brien who made quick work of the transfer and sprinted off to catch up with the runners ahead of him. Bob Gabourel completed his swim at this time, jumped on his bike barefoot and began his two laps. Among the senior riders, Lovell was the first to complete his team’s two laps. But Byron Pope was steadily closing the gap. Leon Leslie was approximately two minutes behind the two lead riders, and there goes Jyven Gonzalez as the fourth rider around he first lap. Now here we have it folks, the first junior relay team to finish the triathlon. Tamia Bennett brought home the gold in the relay category for Team Chill Guys.

 

Tamia Bennett, Gold Medalist, Team Chill Guys

“The running was a mental thing, because running a long distance you have to have a strong mind. I wanted to stop for a lot of time, but I just pull through.”

 

Kerwin Guild crossed the finish line in second place. Guild and his relay team from Wesley College secured silver. Jalen O’Brien and the Team Tri-hards secured the bronze medal in the relay category. senior riders began rolling in with Lovell leading the group. Lovell transferred to Ariel Avila, the first senior relay runner to begin the five-k run.  Byron Pope only a few second behind handed his team’s chip over to Albert Davis who sprinted off behind Avila. Two minutes later, Jyven Gonzalez and Leon Leslie completed their two laps and handed over their chips to Derrick Chavarria and Levi “Yellow Flash” Contreras respectively. They had a great deal of grounds to make to catch up with the runners ahead of them. Franciso Lima, one of the solo competitors took of his riding gears and suited up for the last leg. Behind Lima, two additional solo competitors, Cucul and Gladden in third and fourth place in the cycling leg. And now, here we have it folks, the first senior relay athlete to finish the five-k run. Its none other than the “Yellow Flash” himself, Jesus Contreras representing team Juan-Leon, Jesus. He was followed closely by Davis in second place and Avila in third.

 

Jesus Contreras, Gold Medalist, Team Juan-Leon-Jesus

“When I started, knowing that my rider had made up grounds already that had boost me up mentally. I said to myself, if he can take back a minute it is ours. I am in love with this team. The funny thing is, this was one of the team that had a last registration. But, with the swimmer, rider and runner included, we knew we were destined for top two at least.”

 

And now, the first solo athlete to cross the finish-line was Guatemalan Fransisco Lima. He is your 2024 individual champion. Team G-Flow was the only team in the mixed relay. That team included Leon Guild, Tyrin Tasher and Mirtha Welch. Daylan Cruz won gold in the junior individual category.

 

Kaya Cattouse, Organizer, Belize City Triathlon

“We have excellent cyclists and runners in the country; however, our swim is weak. From the triathlon association we are trying to work on this. We have partnered with the YWCA to use their facilities, and we get our high schools athletes there in the evening times to try and swim and become better. We are trying to do more open water swims in this area. We have tried to have just swim events where you just come out here, you set up the buoy and have small incentives to get people motivated that you are training in the pool but for something bigger.”

 

Well Folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.