A record was shattered and many hearts were broken on Holy Saturday at the 76th running of the cross-country cycling classic.
At 6:00 a.m. on Holy Saturday 93 cyclists - 69 Belizeans and 24 foreign riders - lined up in front of August Meat Shop on the Western Highway. In less than six hours, months of anticipation, years of preparations boiled down to two laps at the Marion Jones Stadium.
It should have been dramatic, should have been momentous but for most it was a crushing anticlimax. 7NEWS was at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex for the finish.
Keith Swift Reporting,
American Chris Harkey made winning look almost too easy as he rode into the Marion Jones stadium solo. The defending champ completed a full lap and a half before Cayo's Shane Vasquez entered in pursuit
But the pursuit was over - this was Harkey's race and he glided across the finish line with style and ease. Harkey shattered the previous record by 14 seconds and became the first foreigner in 76 years of racing to claim the garland back to back.
Chris Harkey, 2004 Cross-Country Champion
"Exhausted, I am extremely exhausted that was a long way to go. When I initially went I was expecting to make those guys really work hard but I have to tip my hats off to them cause they chased me all day long."
Keith Swift,
"When you entered the Marion Jones stadium and you were by yourself, you were not being chased - what was going through your mind -how did it feel?"
Chris Harkey,
"There are not many words that can describe that feeling. Like I said, I got goose bumps. As soon as I made the roundabout onto the boulevard I got goose bumps. It was an awesome feeling, I can't describe it."
Keith Swift,
"I got to congratulate you on your victory but you disappointed Belize because we wanted a local to win."
Chris Harkey,
[Laughing] "I know and I apologize for that but I told Ian Smith before I left the pack that I was going to attack and to catch me. Unfortunately he never caught me but if they had caught me I know Ian Smith would have been the man."
Keith Swift,
"Is the second victory sweeter than the first?"
Chris Harkey,
"Oh definitely, last year was an awesome feeling but coming in by yourself - that tops the cake."
Back on the pavement - Shane Vasquez secured his spot at second place crossing the finish line to almost a hero's welcome. Vasquez had chased Harkey for the last part of the race and for him his second place victory was bitter sweet.
Shane Vasquez, 2nd Place Cross Country
"When I came into the national stadium I just kept my momentum, I never really backed off. For me I felt good being the first Belizean. I did my best to try to win the race for Belize."
Keith Swift,
"You started chasing Harkey around mile 28, and you stayed in pursuit all the way to Belize City, how did you keep it up?"
Shane Vasquez,
"Well I just tried my best to chase him. I was strong and everything because I didn't work going up so for the last 30 miles of the race I was able to go for it all out."
Keith Swift,
"Many people say you are a great cyclist and did a great but if you were a member of one of the bigger teams, say Smiling or Santino's you would done better. You think that affected you on the road today?"
Shane Vasquez,
"Indeed. If I was with one of the bigger teams I would have gotten much more support when it comes to team strategy and things like that when you compared it to today. But my little team - it was 5 of us - and I think we did well. We came out and did our best.
Still there was a race to finish and as the "pack" entered the stadium it was a fight for third. That battle came down to Ian Smith, Mateo Cruz, and Mexican Jesus Hernandez. Cruz came out on top in a photo finish sprint for third place - a sprint that came dangerously close to being derailed when someone hurled a plastic bottle from the top of the bleachers - missing Smith by only a foot.
Mateo Cruz, 3rd Place 2004 Cross Country
"On the sprint my legs were strong all year - they are under me. I crashed and I got up back."
Cruz cemented his position at number three. Ian Smith settled for number 4 but due to an injury he suffered in a spill on Central American Boulevard, he was later rushed by ambulance to the hospital.
Belizeans won three out of the top five slots and 3 out of 5 isn't that bad but from the look on faces of out proudest cyclists you knew it felt worse. And what made it worse was the loss of pride - because for the third year - foreign cyclist rode away with the garland. So did it or could it happen - the last Belizean to win the cross country Ernest "Jawmaine" Meighan has a theory.
Ernest "Jawmaine" Meighan, Former Cross Country Champ
"The Smiling team had like ten guys - ten foreigners and whenever I tried to attack there was a guy who was responsible for me and he kept me buried and I realized I couldn't go anywhere. So the Smiling team just had too much foreigners."
"Our main guy, Uribe, didn't make it and he was the guy who was to handle or hold down Harkey and that's why Harkey was so strong at the end and he just burst away at mile 36 and we couldn't catch him."
Keith Swift,
"On Thursday I asked you if you were just an extension of Guinness Smiling team and now after winning you have on a Guinness T-shirt. So was everybody right?"
Chris Harkey,
"We came down here as Hincapie sport and definitely in a race like this with Santino's having so many numbers you really need to try to make friends and to work together. Hey I encouraged Santino's to even work with me as well. You know to get out there and just take a chance on the race -get out there and race me don't just wait until the end. You got to work for it and that is what makes it so sweet right now because I worked for that win. You know 35 miles per hour with the head wind here in Belize, that's hard work."
Hard work which now puts this North Carolina native in our history books and sends him home with a victory, and our treasured garland.
Harkey broke the record of 5:50:06 whiich was set in 1998 by American Ben Bernard. Harkey finished the race in 5:48:52 beating that record by 1:14. Along with the garland and a trophy Chris Harkey got a $5,000 check from IMMARBE and a $5,000 ring from JL's.
Second place cyclist Shane Vasquez got a $3,500 check in addition to a bonus check from the Belize-American association in the U.S. For his efforts, Mateo Cruz got $2,000.
And if you are wondering about Ian Smith who was injured in the pile-up on the boulevard and rushed to the KHMH - he was treated as an outpatient and tonight is home nursing a bruised chest.
Out of the top 15 cyclists, 8 were Belizeans.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift