Jim Brown, Cross Country Champion 2025
by William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 24, 2025
British rider Jim Brown of the Miami Blazers won the 95th Annual Cross Country Cycling Classic from Belize City to San Ignacio and back to the finish line at the Digi Park on Newtown Barracks in Belize City on Holy Saturday, April 19.
Top 5, (l to r) 5th Cory Williams; 3rd Uriel Espinosa; 1st Jim Brown; 2nd Alfredo Bueno; 4th Derrick Chavarria
In addition to the cash prizes, Brown also won the Altreith Smith trophy honoring the first winner of the one-day Cross Country in 1948, which before that was a 2-day expedition. He also received the Jeffery O’Brien trophy honoring the 4-time Cross country champion; the Manfred Atkins trophy; and a $500 cash prize from the Queen of the Bay New York.
No records were broken as Brown’s time (5:45:39) was 6 minutes slower than the new record set last year by Honduran rider Luis Nolasco Lopez. At first it seemed the record might be broken, as the foreign riders set a blistering pace of 32 mph for most of the way to Belmopan, and they reached the halfway mark at the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio in two and half hours! Of the 110 riders who started the race, only 49 completed the race, of whom 6 finished more than an hour behind the leader.
Top 3 Belizeans, (l to r) 3rd Jyven Gonzalez; 1st Derrick Chavarria; 2nd Cory Williams
Below are the top 20 finishers, teams, times, and finishing cash prizes received (Legend for foreign riders: GBR – Great Britain; USA – United States of America; COL – Colombia; CAN – Canada; VEN – Venezuela; HON – Honduras):
1st – Jim Brown, GBR (Miami Blazers; 5:45:40; $10,500)
2nd – Alfredo Bueno, USA (Team Legion; 5:45:40; $5,000)
3rd – Uriel Omar Espinosa Lopez, COL (Team Tenis Stars; 5:47:09; $2,500)
4th – Derrick Chavarria (Team G-Flow; 5:54:01; $1,200)
5th – Cory Williams (Miami Blazers; 5:54:01; $800)
6th – David Abreo Castaño, COL (Team Tenis Stars; 5:54:01; $500)
7th – Jean-Michel Lachance, CAN (Knix & Knax Transit; 5:54:01; $425)
8th – Jyven Gonzalez (Team G-Flow; 5:54:01; $425)
9th – Oscar Quiroz (Team Valvoline; 5:54:01; $325)
10th – Jose Antonio Alarcon, VEN (Venezuela; 5:54:01; $225)
11th – Cory Lockwood, USA (Miami Blazers, 5:54:01; $200)
12th – Luis Nolasco Lopez, HON (LL Team; 5:54:01; $150)
13th – Patrick Raines (55 years old), USA (Team Skyline; 6:02:36; $150)
14th – Delton Rojas (Rolling Shattaz; 6:08:34; $150)
15th – Miguel Cendales Lopez, COL (Team MC; 6:10:08; $150)
16th – John Delong (46 years old), USA (Team Skyline; 6:12:48; $100)
17th – Joslyn Chavarria, Jr. (Santino’s Elite; 6:12:55; $100)
18th – Jaylen Briceño (Team G-Flow; 6:12:59; $100)
19th – Shawn Codd (Team PMA Racing; 6:13:08; $100)
20th – Josue Rivas (Wateva Boyz; 6:13:22; $100)
All top 20 finishers also received a trophy.
In the Under-23 category, Derrick Chavarria won the $1,000 first prize and a trophy; Delton Rojas won the $750 2nd prize; and Jaylen Briceño won the $500 3rd prize.
Eric Trapp led in the first 3 miles of the race, soon to be reeled in by a group of 4 riders including 2-time champion Justin Williams, Tarique Flowers, Colombian rider Uriel Omar Espinosa Lopez and Hollister Baptist of Team G-Flow, who won a $200 station prize at Old Belize and $100 at Janelle’s Trucking. Espinoza helped set the pace, but Baptist won another 2 prizes at the 8 miles Westlake roundabout and in Hattieville.
With over $28,600 in station prizes to be won – not including the $6,000 bull at Mount Hope, most of the riders leading the race on the outbound leg were just “rabbits” sprinting for prizes, which would take a toll on their legs. They would not be in contention with possible winners sitting back, conserving their strength, as they rode in the slipstream of the main body of riders.
Justin Williams took over the pace at Mile 18, and this lead group opened up a one-minute gap on the main peloton; but they would soon be reeled in at Mile 25 by the main peloton who had amped up the pace to 35mph, led by Brown. Joslyn Chavarria, Jr. sprinted away from the pack to win a station prize at Mile 25, but Colombian Abreo Castaño then broke away solo, soon to be joined by Alfredo Bueno of Justin Williams’ Team LEGION.
Castaño won a $250 prize at Mile 53 in Teakettle, and by 8 o’clock this lead duo had arrived at Mile 58 junction to Iguana Creek Bridge to Spanish Lookout, averaging 29 mph.
Alarcon was on the pace in the lead group of Cory Williams, Oscar Quiroz, Carlton Robinson, Jaylen Briceño, Castaño, Patrick Raines, and Jean-Michel Lachance on the return, until he broke away solo to sweep all the station prizes to Teakettle. Derrick “Baby Chav” got a flat, got service, and had to work hard to rejoin the lead duo of Brown and Alarcon as they crossed the Roaring Creek Bridge. Robinson, Goran Gabourel and Giovanni Lovell had stayed with the chase group but were 2:35 minutes behind as the race rolled past the Hector Silva Airstrip. Cory Williams, Chavarria, Jyven Gonzalez and Quiroz remained in the lead group at Cotton Tree, while the chase group led by Lovell fell behind by 3:50 minutes
Lockwood was on the pace at Mile 40, as they rode at 18mph into a 25mph head wind, closely followed by Alarcon, Lachance, Brown and defending champion Luis Nolasco Lopez who broke away at Mile 33, with Brown giving chase. No native son was in the lead group of four when Alfredo Bueno and Uriel Espinosa joined Brown and Nolasco at Mile 30 – La Democracia. Brown, Bueno and Espinoza attacked Nolasco and left him behind at Mile 23 – Rockville.
Chavarria, Lockwood and Raines tried to bridge the gap, as Brown and Uriel Espinosa rode away from Alfredo Bueno who got a flat at Mile 20. Bueno switched bikes and quickly rejoined the lead duo at Hattieville. By Mile 13, the chase group was 4:08 minutes behind the lead trio, and Brown and Bueno ditched Espinosa at Mile 10. The lead duo shared the remaining station prizes as they rode into the city, where Brown waited until the last 100 meters to sprint away from Bueno for the garland.
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