Guava Limb Three Peats in La Ruta Maya River Challenge

The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge wrapped up on Monday morning in Belize City. The hundred-and-twenty-five-mile race kicked off on Friday morning with a false start on the Macal River. Over four days and eighteen hours, fifty-four teams paddled towards the finish line, cheered on by spectators and support teams along the riverbanks. In its twenty-eight years, the race has become a beloved cultural event in Belize. Here’s a special edition of Kolcha Tuesday with Paul Lopez.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge is an annual event that attracts thousands of spectators to the banks of the Macal and Belize Rivers. This endurance canoe race covers a hundred and twenty-five miles and takes place over four days. To prepare, teams train for months. Fans and support crews follow the race downriver, eagerly waiting at the finish line near the Belcan Bridge in Belize City. From a distance, the sight of the first canoe approaching the finish line sends excitement through the crowd. The two-time defending champions, Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb, dug deeper with every stroke. With the same determination they showed at the start, Guava Limb powered across the finish line to claim their third straight victory.

 

Javier Guardado, Paddler, Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb

“First of all want to thank God and I want to thank my sponsor, Guava Limb and Cha Creek and my fans and family. I see that today we have a lot of fans, so thanks to them. We got a lot of courage of them and we needed to make them proud of us. I made my dad proud of me so yeah.”

 

The victory did not come easy for the defending champions. Throughout the race, Guava Limb faced one of their toughest rivals yet, Memory Lane Global Missions. Despite not winning a single stage before the final day, Guava Limb kept pushing. Memory Lane proved to be the faster sprinter at each finish line, but Guava Limb’s determination paid off in the end. But, on Monday Guava Limb dropped Memory Lane on the Haulover Creek channel. They gained an advantage that saw Memory Lane cross the finish-line two minutes after them.

 

Amado Cruz, Paddler, Memory Lane Global Mission

“The race was hard, everybody wanted us, well I don’t know if they wanted us to win or Guava Limb. But we gave it our all. I am happy with our performance and we gave it our all. Thinks did not turn out our way when we entered the channel. We crashed and Guava Limb got a head start on us there.”

 

The journey of Milenie Cabb and the UES Lucas Oil mixed team was just as inspiring as the dominance shown by the top two teams. UES Lucas Oil maintained their third-place overall position throughout the entire race. Milenie Cabb, her husband Clayton, and their teammate Enrique Cruz never let the all-men elite teams intimidate them.

 

Milenie Cabb, Paddler, UES Lucas Oil

“Where I get the strength, I could say how I start to paddle. I lost a baby and I was not ok. My husband brought me to canoeing to distract myself. I started paddling and that motivated me to say that I am strong, because my husband said I am a strong woman and I can show it to the world. Now, here I am paddling. Thank you.”

 

Guava Limb’s three-peat earned them the right to take home the Kinich Ahau Trophy. And, they already have their eyes set on a fourth championship in 2026.

 

Javier Guardado

“We will plan how we will celebrate that. It is big. That was our plan since we were coming up from small. We did not change with no team. We continued with Guava Limb and thanks to my two partners that are here.”

 

Over the years, the number of participants in the race has been dropping. In 2025, fifty-four teams joined, which is ten fewer than in 2024. There were times when over a hundred teams competed. Sponsorship has also been dwindling, and the future of this beloved annual event depends on the financial support teams can secure. Reporting from News Five, I am Paul Lopez.