Holy Saturday in San Ignacio starts early, and not only because it is Easter weekend. By first light, Belize is already tuned to the road because the cyclists are coming.
We were up before 7:00 AM, stopping at the Shell station in Santa Elena for meat pies and black coffee while town was still waking up. Friends had saved us a spot along the George Price Highway, near Georgeville, where the riders would blow past on their way to the Hawkesworth Bridge turnaround in San Ignacio. By the time we got set up, families were already lined along the shoulder, pickup trucks were already parked along the shoulder, facing the road.
This is how Cayo does Easter Saturday. Loud, early, and on wheels.
If Good Friday in Benque Viejo del Carmen is solemn and hushed, Holy Saturday in San Ignacio and Santa Elena is the opposite: the Cross Country Cycling Classic reaches Cayo in the morning, the Peter August Memorial Racetrack in Santa Elena hosts horse racing later in the day, and the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Easter Fair fills Macal Park with food, music, games, and rides. It is one of Belize's biggest Easter weekend experiences, and still one of the least documented from a visitor's point of view.
Here is how the whole day works, and how to plan it from Cayo.
Key Takeaways
- The Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic traces its history to a first cross-country ride that began on April 5, 1928. Elston Kerr of Burrell Boom completed the 188-mile Belize City to Cayo round trip in 21 hours and 29 minutes of riding time over the Easter weekend.
- The race is not literally uninterrupted every year. It was cancelled in 1932 after the 1931 hurricane and again in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19. In 2026, it ran as the 96th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic.
- The modern race rolls out at 6:00 AM from Digi Park, also widely known as BTL Park, on Marine Parade Boulevard in Belize City. Riders head west on the George Price Highway, turn in San Ignacio near the Hawkesworth Bridge, and finish back in Belize City.
- The route is usually described as about 140 to 144 miles, depending on the year's measured course. The leaders now finish before noon, not mid-afternoon.
- Same day in Cayo: Holy Saturday horse racing at the Peter August Memorial Racetrack in Santa Elena and the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Annual Easter Fair at Macal Park.
- Base yourself in San Ignacio or Santa Elena if you want to catch the cycling, horse racing, and Easter Fair without changing hotels.
What You'll Find in This Guide
- 1. Why Holy Saturday Belongs to Cycling in Belize
- 2. A Brief History of the Cross Country Cycling Classic
- 3. The Modern Route
- 4. Watching the Race in Georgeville
- 5. Horse Racing at Peter August Memorial Racetrack
- 6. The San Ignacio and Santa Elena Easter Fair
- 7. Full Day Timeline
- 8. Local Tips
- 9. FAQ
- 10. Useful Links
Why Holy Saturday Belongs to Cycling in Belize
For much of the Catholic world, Holy Saturday is a quiet pause between the crucifixion and the resurrection. In Belize, it is also the loudest sporting day of the year.
The Cross Country Cycling Classic has been part of Belize's Easter culture since 1928. The Cycling Federation of Belize describes it as the longest-running cycling race in the Western Hemisphere, and the Belize Tourism Board calls it the oldest one-day cycling event in the hemisphere. It predates Belize's independence. It predates the modern tourism industry. It predates most of what visitors now think of as "modern Belize."
The race shares the Easter Saturday calendar with other Cayo traditions that have grown around the long weekend: horse racing in Santa Elena and the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Easter Fair at Macal Park. Together, they turn a single day into something closer to a festival. Families travel in from villages. Cayo residents stake out roadside spots. Belizeans abroad and on the cayes follow the race online, on the radio, or in group chats.
Unlike Good Friday, which is still observed in many Belizean communities with processions, church services, and quiet family rituals, Holy Saturday is meant to move. That is part of the point.
A Brief History of the Cross Country Cycling Classic
The race began in 1928, when a group of young Belizeans set out to prove that the trip from Belize City to Cayo could be made by bicycle.
On April 5, 1928, riders rolled out from in front of the courthouse in Belize City at 5:00 AM. The George Price Highway as travelers know it today did not exist. Early accounts describe the riders following the rough western road or trail toward Orange Walk before cutting toward Cayo, because that was the practical road connection available at the time.
The first rider into Cayo was Elston Kerr of Burrell Boom. He made it west in roughly 13 hours. The group spent the Easter holidays in Cayo, visited Benque Viejo and San Jose Succotz, and then set out for Belize City again on April 9. Kerr completed the full 188-mile round trip first, with a total riding time of 21 hours and 29 minutes.
The organizer most often credited with founding the race is Monrad Metzgen, a civic promoter and early champion of Belizean cycling. Metzgen did not only organize the first event; he also rode it. Kerr won again in 1929, becoming the race's first repeat champion.
The event has since become the symbolic center of Belize's cycling calendar. It has changed routes, names, start points, and finish points over the decades, but the basic idea remains the same: Belize City to Cayo and back, on Easter weekend, with the whole country paying attention.
One important clarification: the race is often described casually as having run every year since 1928, but that is not quite right. It was cancelled in 1932 after the 1931 hurricane and was not held in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID-19. The continuity is cultural rather than perfectly literal.
The Modern Route: What the Race Looks Like Today
The modern Cross Country is a direct descendant of the 1928 ride, but with one major difference: the road now goes straight west.
For 2026, the race was the 96th running. It rolled out at 6:00 AM from Digi Park, still commonly called BTL Park, on Marine Parade Boulevard in Belize City. Riders followed the George Price Highway west toward San Ignacio, crossed into Cayo, climbed through the Belmopan and Roaring Creek corridor, and reached the halfway point in San Ignacio near the Hawkesworth Bridge before returning east to Belize City.
Segment Location Typical Timing
Rollout Digi Park / BTL Park, Marine Parade Boulevard, Belize City 6:00 AM
Cayo approach George Price Highway, including Unitedville and Georgeville Around 8:30-9:30 AM
Turnaround Hawkesworth Bridge area, San Ignacio Around 9:00-10:00 AM
Finish Digi Park / BTL Park, Belize City Late morning to around noon for the leaders
The route is usually given as about 140 to 144 miles. In 2024, the Cycling Federation's publication described that year's winning distance as 139.9 miles. Travel Belize describes the route as 232 km, or about 144 miles. For visitors, the practical point is simple: it is a long, fast, one-day road race from Belize City to San Ignacio and back.
The race includes elite, masters, under-18, and under-23 categories, with Belizean riders competing alongside regional and international entrants. In 2026, the field included riders from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Belizean-American teams. British cyclist Jim Brown of the Miami Blazers won the 2026 race, defending his 2025 title.
Watching the Race in Georgeville: Our Spot
You can watch the race from many points along the George Price Highway, especially as the cyclists make their way into Cayo toward the San Ignacio turnaround.
We chose Georgeville because a friend had saved us a roadside spot there. It gave us a clear view of the riders as they came through at full speed before continuing west toward San Ignacio.
For a while, the road is quiet. Every few minutes a support vehicle passes: police, race marshals, ambulances, and team cars with spare wheels and mechanics. Then the energy changes. You hear it before you see it: a low hum, then horns, then music, then shouting.
Then the riders come through.
Bikes do not look fast on TV. In person, when they pass at race pace on an open highway, they are genuinely nerve-racking. A breakaway may come first, followed by the main pack, then smaller groups and solo riders spread out behind them. The whole spectacle is over quickly at any one viewing spot, so arrive early and settle in before the first vehicles begin to clear the road.
The crowd is part of the event. It feels a little like La Ruta Maya in roadside form: cooler bags, shade tents, pickup beds, village gossip, and lots of shouting. Someone always has music. Someone always has food.
If you want the most dramatic Cayo viewing point, go to the Hawkesworth Bridge turnaround in San Ignacio. The crowd is bigger there, the bikes are closer, and the town feels fully awake by the time the lead riders arrive. Vendors often set up around the downtown area, and the race briefly turns San Ignacio into a street-level cycling stadium.
Either way, budget your morning around the race. It does not wait for anyone.
Horse Racing at Peter August Memorial Racetrack
After the cyclists turn back toward Belize City, Holy Saturday's second act opens in Santa Elena at the Peter August Memorial Racetrack on Loma Luz Boulevard.
Cayo horse racing has deep roots. Local accounts trace the revival of Holy Saturday horse races in San Ignacio to April 14, 1990, before the tradition later moved to the Peter August property in Santa Elena. Today, the Peter August Memorial Racetrack is still one of the main places people associate with horse racing in the Twin Towns.
In 2026, the annual Holy Saturday Horse Racing Showdown was advertised for Saturday, April 4 at the Peter August Memorial Racetrack in Santa Elena, with food and drinks available at the event.
Expect a cash-based, local, informal atmosphere. Gate prices and seating arrangements can vary by year, so confirm the current fee with the organizers before publishing or before you go. Bring cash for entrance, food, drinks, and any local betting.
The track is a dirt oval set against the Cayo foothills. Races run in heats, with music, announcements, and food vendors filling the gaps between them. The horses are locally trained and locally owned. The crowd has opinions. The whole thing feels more like a community race day than a polished formal sporting event, which is most of its charm.
It is not everybody's thing. It was not really mine. But there is something honest about watching Belizean horses run a dirt track under Cayo sky while half the crowd is still talking about who attacked before Roaring Creek in the cycling race.
The San Ignacio and Santa Elena Easter Fair
By afternoon and evening, the center of gravity shifts back toward San Ignacio. The San Ignacio and Santa Elena Annual Easter Fair is usually held at Macal Park and is one of the biggest family events of the Cayo Easter weekend.
For 2026, local event listings advertised the fair for April 4 and 5 at Macal Park, with food stalls, carnival games, a kid zone, local crafts, and live bands including Golden Pawz, Super Furia, Caribbean Riddim, and Harlem Youths. Tickets were listed at $5-10 Bz for adults and $3 for kids, though prices, hours, and programming should always be checked against the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council's current announcements.
What you can usually expect:
- Rides: Mechanical rides, kid rides, bouncy houses, and other traveling-fair attractions. The exact lineup changes by year.
- Food: Garnaches, salbutes, panades, tamales, pupusas, tacos, barbecue, cotton candy, and other fair food.
- Drinks: Local beer, rum drinks, juices, and fresh coconut water, depending on vendor setup.
- Music: Live bands, DJs, and loud sound systems. Bring tolerance for volume.
- Games: Carnival-style games, small prizes, and activities for kids.
It is busy. It is loud. It runs late when the program allows it. And for many families, it is the real reason to spend the whole Easter weekend in Cayo rather than only watching the cycling race.
I went primarily for the rides. If you are traveling with kids, that will probably be your center of gravity too. The Ferris wheel, when it is there, gives you a good view over town and toward the Macal River. It is also the best short reset between eating too many garnaches and going back for one more.
Fair hours and layout change from year to year. Check the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council Facebook page in the week leading up to Easter for confirmed dates, entrance prices, street closures, and the final entertainment schedule.
Holy Saturday in San Ignacio: Full Day Timeline
Time What's Happening Where
6:00 AM Cycling Classic rolls out Digi Park / BTL Park, Belize City
8:30-9:30 AM Lead groups reach western Cayo villages George Price Highway, including Unitedville and Georgeville
9:00-10:00 AM Race reaches the San Ignacio turnaround Hawkesworth Bridge area, San Ignacio
Late morning to noon First riders finish Digi Park / BTL Park, Belize City
Early afternoon Horse racing activity begins or builds Peter August Memorial Racetrack, Santa Elena
Afternoon/evening Easter Fair opens or gets busy Macal Park, San Ignacio
Night Fair peaks with rides, music, food, and crowds Macal Park and surrounding downtown area
Exact times shift with the race pace, weather, police traffic management, and the year's local Easter Fair schedule. Confirm cycling race details with the Cycling Federation of Belize and fair details with the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council.
Local Tips: The Cayo Insider Angle
- Pick your race spot early. If you want a prime roadside view, locals claim spots early. If you do not have a local connection, the Hawkesworth Bridge turnaround in San Ignacio is the easiest high-energy option.
- Bring cash. Almost everything on Holy Saturday is cash based: breakfast, snacks, parking, horse racing, fair entrance, rides, games, and vendors. ATMs in San Ignacio can get busy during Easter weekend.
- Eat before the race comes through. Once police and race vehicles begin moving through, the morning speeds up fast. The Shell station in Santa Elena is a popular early stop for meat pies and coffee, but lines can form.
- Drive early and think about parking. The cycling race creates rolling closures and traffic holds along the George Price Highway. The Easter Fair creates the bigger parking challenge later in the day around downtown San Ignacio and Macal Park.
- Do not try to beat the race across the highway. When the peloton is approaching, the road is effectively controlled by police and marshals. Stay back from the road edge, keep kids close, and cross only before or after the race window.
- Book San Ignacio or Santa Elena accommodation early. Easter weekend is peak season in Cayo. Hotels, guesthouses, and boutique stays near downtown San Ignacio and the riverfront can fill weeks in advance.
- Pair it with Good Friday in Benque. Benque Viejo del Carmen is less than 20 minutes from San Ignacio and offers a completely different Easter atmosphere: sawdust alfombras, religious processions, and a quiet intensity that contrasts with Saturday's cycling and fair energy.
- Leave Easter Sunday loose. Sunday in Cayo is more family-focused: church services, home meals, river swimming, and slower gatherings. If you have been moving since Good Friday, Easter Sunday is the day to breathe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic?
The Cross Country Cycling Classic is Belize's most famous cycling race and one of the country's biggest annual sporting events. It traces its roots to 1928 and is now held on Holy Saturday, with riders traveling from Belize City to San Ignacio and back.
Who won the first Cross Country Cycling Classic?
Elston Kerr of Burrell Boom won the first event in 1928. He completed the full 188-mile Belize City to Cayo round trip in 21 hours and 29 minutes of riding time over the Easter weekend. Kerr won again in 1929.
Has the race really run every year since 1928?
No. It is often described that way, but the race was cancelled in 1932 after the 1931 hurricane and again in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19. A more accurate description is that it was founded in 1928 and has become Belize's longest-running cycling tradition.
What time does the cycling race start, and where can I watch it?
The race rolls out at 6:00 AM from Digi Park / BTL Park on Marine Parade Boulevard in Belize City. In Cayo, good viewing spots include the George Price Highway through Georgeville and the Hawkesworth Bridge turnaround in San Ignacio. The leaders usually reach San Ignacio around 9:00-10:00 AM, depending on the pace.
What else happens in San Ignacio and Santa Elena on Holy Saturday?
After the race passes through Cayo, the day continues with horse racing at the Peter August Memorial Racetrack in Santa Elena and the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Easter Fair at Macal Park.
How much does the horse racing cost?
Gate prices can vary by year and organizer. Bring cash and confirm the current entrance fee with the Peter August Memorial Racetrack or event organizers before publishing a specific price.
Where is the Easter Fair held?
The San Ignacio and Santa Elena Annual Easter Fair is usually held at Macal Park in San Ignacio. In 2026 it was advertised for April 4 and 5 at Macal Park. Always check the Town Council's current Easter notice for exact hours, pricing, and layout.
Should I stay in San Ignacio or Belize City for Easter weekend?
Stay in San Ignacio or Santa Elena if your focus is Cayo's Easter weekend: Good Friday in Benque, the cycling turnaround, Holy Saturday horse racing, and the Easter Fair. Stay in Belize City if your priority is the Cycling Classic start and finish.
Is it safe to watch the cycling race from the roadside?
Yes, if you use common sense. The race is supported by police, marshals, ambulances, and official vehicles. Stand back from the road edge, keep kids behind you, follow police instructions, and do not cross the highway while riders or race vehicles are approaching.
