On June 25, 2026, the annual International Day of the Seafarer was marked in Belize with an unprecedented collaborative event: a 100-person road race along the scenic George Price Highway, organized by the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC) to honor the global maritime workforce that keeps global trade moving.
International Day of the Seafarer was formally established by the International Maritime Organization to draw public attention to the critical, often overlooked work of seafarers across all segments of the industry. Unlike traditional observances, this year’s WiMAC event centered on a community-focused marathon, designed to raise public visibility through active participation and public engagement.
In an interview alongside the race, WiMAC president Jada Sutherland explained that the day’s core purpose is to recognize the wide range of maritime workers who put themselves at risk daily to enable global connectivity and commerce. The definition of a seafarer extends far beyond deep-sea merchant crew, Sutherland noted: it includes coast guard officers, coast guard pilots, cruise ship staff and other maritime personnel who operate in open waters around the clock, facing unique hazards to keep global supply chains running and communities safe.
This year’s official International Day of the Seafarer theme, “Carrying World Trade, Carrying the Risks”, aligns perfectly with the event’s mission of centering seafarers’ contributions. For 2026, WiMAC made a deliberate choice to pivot to a more collaborative, public-facing format, partnering for the first time with two key Belizean maritime institutions: the Belize Port Authority and the Belize Coast Guard. Sutherland shared that the association chose a marathon to bring the celebration to a public highway, ensuring that passing travelers and local residents would encounter the event and learn about the importance of the International Day of the Seafarer.
“This is something we celebrate every year on the twenty-fifth of June,” Sutherland said. “Today we really wanted to do something different in terms of trying to have more collaboration, trying to establish more partnerships… we want to celebrate this day and we want to do it big, so that when people pass us by they know about this day.”
This news report is a transcribed version of a televised evening newscast, with all Kriol-language remarks transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accessibility.