It will never displace Boston or New York in the hierarchy of elite running events, but Placencia’s End of the World Marathon has earned a major place in the hearts of Peninsula residents and visitors alike.
The name refers to Aldous Huxley’s less than endearing description of Belize but fit perfectly into the hype surrounding the so-called end of the Maya calendar in 2012. Seven years after founder Chip Lovett organized the first race, it has come to occupy a prime spot on the Peninsula’s annual special events calendar.
The 2018 version featured over 250 entrants from Belize and beyond, competing in the full and half marathons along with almost as many volunteers taking care of everything from first aid to massages.
This year’s winners in the full marathon were Luis August in the male division while Rosa Cruz was the first female across the line. Leon O’Brien and Meredith Marx were the respective champs in the half marathon.
In a competition that was at least as fierce as the running, Naia Resort and Spa took first place honors among the water stations with a zombie apocalypse theme entitled “No Escape from Naia”.
For more information on this great Placencia event visit www.runbelize.org.
