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Hundreds of thousand dollars in money invested in vitamins and equipment, thousands of hours in road practices, hundreds of bottles of vitamins, energy drinks...all that in preparation for the single biggest sporting event in Belize. All that was all on the line, all those hours and dollars distilled into 6 hours of fierce competition in the 81st running of the Cross Country. 116 riders started and we were there from the first pedal stroke – here’s how it went.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The riders lined up at the start, some veterans who’d been here maybe 20 times before were cool while others were pensive, and others took a deep breath at the prospect of what may be the most grueling day they’ve faced.

At just a few minutes to six, they leapt off to a roaring start. In the golden light of morning the dogged pace seemed almost incongruous, but the sprints for early station prizes at Miles 8 and 9 made it clear that the race was on as a lead pack of about ten forged ahead while the main pack had a more leisurely pace.

While the pack remained together outside Hattieville, by mile 31 Mexican Marco Antonio Rios in the Blue and Costa Rican Marcos Salas Arias in the full red were out front and had established a comfortable lead of around two minutes.

The Mexican and the Costa Rican would maintain and expand that lead, working with each other and calmly alternating the station prizes for more than half the race, taking the winnings by turns, even at the Belmopan cutoff where the prize was over a thousand dollars. Their pace was fast, with an accommodating tailwind, and they set a new record at Roaring Creek of one hour forty minutes, an average of 28 miles an hour.

And the crowd at Belmopan wouldn’t get to see a Belizean rider until two and a half minutes later with the chase and then the pack. The pair kepttheir pace at the mighty Mount Hope where again onlookers gathered but they saved their cheers for the chase group which had Belizeans in their numbers. That group would continue to work through the hills, but it hardly made a difference to Rios and Salas-Arias who were pushing forward nearing Central Farm.

And in San Ignacio Town the streets were lined with spectators even if the men first across the bridge weren’t Belizeans. A zip through the roundabout and they were gone in record time two hours, thirty one minutes, an average speed of 26 miles an hour. By the time the chase pack and then the main pelathon barreled in, they were minutes behind the leaders.

On the way back, the chase was trying to get organized as Rios and Salas-Arias continued to dominate and the chase group was as much as three minutes behind near Spanish Lookout. Still, The Costa Rican and the Mexican continued to work together even if their pace was slowing as the heat and the difficulty of being out front took its toll.

Near Belmopan on the return, a large chase group of about 30 riders was closing in and by mile 47, the shape of the real race was taking form with what would be the final chase group including Froggy Leslie and Jose Choto distancing itself. Luis Santizo tried to bridge the gap on his own but he had to fall in. By mile 43 Salas Arias and Rios were within in sight of the chase group but the Costa Rican dug down, determined to fight them off.

But by this time, the chase led by unattached Mexican, Carlos Lopez in the long sleeves, along with Frank Travieso, Froggy Leslie and Jose Choto were bearing down. They would soon be joined by Carlos Manuel Hernandez and at mile 41, they caught the pair who had been in the lead for half of the race. But now Froggy Leslie and Choto took it up, giving Belizeans hope. Remarkably the Costa Rican, Salas Arias still seemed game to stay with the leaders.

Team mates Frank Travieso and Froggy Leslie worked to keep the pace along with Jose Choto and Mexican Carlos Manuel Hernandez. And working together, they built a one minute lead on the main chase group. Travieso kept the pace but the Mexicans stayed in the picture. And by mile 35 no one was sprinting for station prizes because the race was now about the garland – and the winner was in this group.

The measured alliance between the two Mexicans, the two Belizeans and the Cuban would continued with each rider staking the other out. They say the race is decided in the last 30 miles and at the Coastal Highway cut-off it was Choto in the lead.

Coming down mile 25, the Mexicans and Santino’s stayed bunched up with Choto close behind. At mile 18 Mexican Carlos Lopez kept on pace and at Hattieville, Choto was back on pace. It continued like this, back and forth, but all 5 knew that someone had to break eventually. And here’s where it happened while Froggy Leslie called for service and Choto was on the pace – Carlos Manuel Hernandez attacked.

He surged out on his own while Travieso led the pack which was now four. And while Hernandez bore down on his pedals– by mile four his countryman but not his team-mate Carlos Lopez was after him, leaving Travieso and the two Belizeans Choto and Leslie behind. Hernandez showed signed of fatigue near Faber’s Road while Lopez stalked him. When they got to Leslie’s Imports, Lopez could see Hernandez in front of him and by the cemetery he had chased him down

Coming into the city they were neck and neck, but if you look closely at Hernandez’styre, it’s almost flat. But he continued keeping up down the city streets where a convoy of motorbikes horns squealing escorted them in. But the flat tyre would prove consequential and Lopez took the lead for good on Princess Margaret Drive and crossed the line first, a full minute ahead of Hernandez.

So Mexican Carlos Lopez is the new Cross Country champion. He finished the race in 6 hours, 1 minute, and 42 seconds. That’s about 22 minutes longer than the record set last year by American Ryan Bauhman.