FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Race to Feature Top World-Class Athletes, Including American Record-Holder
Deena Kastor, and Best in Maine and New England on Saturday
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine – Top road racers from around the globe, including
American marathon record-holder Deena Kastor, will join the best in Maine
and New England in Cape Elizabeth on Saturday (Aug. 6) for the 14th running
of the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race.
Elite athletes from Africa, Asia and Europe will share the scenic coastal
course with thousands of recreational runners who receive cheers and
encouragement from excited spectators. The festive atmosphere each year
re-affirms the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K's reputation as a world-class
event with small-town charm.
This year's expected race-day field of 6,000 will include runners from 11
countries and 41 U.S. states. Maine native and Olympic gold medalist Joan
Benoit Samuelson is the founder of the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K
(www.beach2beacon.org).
More than $60,000 in prize money is at stake, including a $10,000 prize
each to the top man and woman. Also, a $2,500 bonus is available for an
open course record and $500 for a course record in the Maine category,
providing added incentive in a race that consistently ranks among the
fastest and most competitive 10Ks in the world.
The beneficiary of this year's race is Day One (www.day-one.org), a
non-profit agency providing substance abuse prevention, intervention,
treatment, and aftercare programs for Maine youth. TD Bank, through the TD
Charitable Foundation, will provide a cash donation of $30,000 to the
organization, which also is benefiting from fundraising activities and
publicity through its association with the race.
"We are proud to continue supporting the TD Bank Beach to Beacon, a special
event made possible by the hard work and dedication of everyone involved,"
said Larry Wold, TD Bank Market President for Maine who has run in every
previous TD Bank Beach to Beacon (40:08 in 2010, 342nd overall) and is
ready to compete again on Saturday. "This year's race beneficiary
organization, Day One, does a remarkable job helping Maine youth avoid and
overcome substance abuse and lead happy, productive lives. We are honored
to support Day One and its efforts."
Marathon Legends Deena Kastor and Catherine Ndereba Headline Women's Field,
while Deep and Speedy Men's Side Might be Fastest Ever
American Deena Kastor and Kenyan Catherine Ndereba, Olympic medalists and
running legends, headline the women's field for the TD Bank Beach to Beacon
10K while the talented men's field could be the fastest ever, even with the
late withdrawal of reigning champ Gebre Gebremariam due to scheduling
issues with the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF).
Deena Kastor, one of the most decorated American distance runners over the
past decade, will make her debut in Cape Elizabeth as part of her selective
return to competitive racing after giving birth to her first child in
February. She is preparing for the Olympic marathon trials in January,
hoping to chase gold in London in 2012.
Kastor, 38, who won bronze at the 2004 Olympics, holds the American record
in the marathon and half marathon and finished first at the prestigious
Chicago and London marathons, has always wanted to add the TD Bank Beach to
Beacon 10K to her resume.
"I am finally running Beach to Beacon, which for years has been at the top
of my list for races I want to run," Kastor said recently in an interview
with Road Race Weekly. "Joan Benoit Samuelson continues to be a hero of
mine and a great source of inspiration in running and in life. Not only is
the race founded by Joan, but it is not surprisingly also known for its
competitiveness and hospitality."
Kastor first broke Samuelson's 18-year-old American marathon record in
2003, then lowered the mark to 2:19:36 in 2006.
Kastor will be joined by Catherine Ndereba, 39, a two-time Olympic silver
medalist who also once held the world marathon record (2:18:47). She is a
four-time BAA Boston Marathon champ and two-time World Champ. Ndereba won
five of the first six TD Bank Beach to Beacons and is the former course
record holder (31:33). Following a five-year absence, Ndereba returned to
the race in 2010 and, rehabbing an injury, finished sixth.
Kastor and Ndereba are not likely to contend for the TD Bank Beach to
Beacon title, especially with Ethiopians Wude Ayalew and Aheza Kiros
pushing the pace. Another top Ethiopian, Werknesh Kidane, has been
scratched due to scheduling conflicts with the EAF.
Ayalew, 24, is determined to notch a win in Cape Elizabeth after finishing
second in 2010 to Lineth Chepkuri's record setting performance (30:59). Her
time of 31:07 also broke the record, and stands as the second fastest time
ever on the 6.2-mile course. She won the Crescent City Classic 10K in New
Orleans in April in 31:36.
Kiros, 25, won her second Carlsbad 5000 in April and finished second at
Freihofer's Run for Women and the New York Mini 10K this summer. She has
run 31:07 at 10,000m on the track.
Kenyan Jelliah Tinega, 25, who won the Bellin Run 10K and finished second
over the weekend in the Quad City Times Bix 7, will vie for a top spot.
Diane Nukuri-Johnson, 26, from Burundi, finished third in Iowa.
Buzunesh Deba, 23, of Ethiopia, one of the hottest marathon runners on the
circuit, also will be in the mix. She has won six of her last eight
marathons, including the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon (2:23:31)
in June and the Los Angeles Marathon in March. She also won the UAE
Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park in May.
Other top American women in the race include Adriana Pirtea Nelson, 31, of
Fort Collins, Colo., a former Romanian national champ who recently gained
U.S. citizenship, and Rebecca Donohue, 35, of State College, Pa., who
recorded top six finishes in 2009 and 2008 in the TD Bank Beach to Beacon.
The men's race is likely to be a sprint to the finish with a number of
speedsters ready to assume the mantle with Gebremariam's late scratch,
meaning the eight-year-old course record of 27:28 is in jeopardy.
Micah Kogo, 25, of Kenya, who won bronze at 10,000m in the 2008 Olympics,
has recorded the fastest 10K in the world so far in 2011 – 27:15 at the
Parelloop 10K in Holland – and once held the 10K world record (27:01) .
Fellow Kenyan Mike Kigen, 25, finished second in that race in 27:25 – the
third fastest 10K this year.
They will be challenged by a trio of even younger Kenyans, including Allan
Kiprono, 21, who finished second at the TD Bank Beach to Beacon last year
(27:42) in his first race on American soil. In 2011, he notched a win at
the Bellin Run 10K in Green Bay and took second at the Crescent City
Classic 10K and the Quad City Times Bix 7 this past weekend. Lani Rutto,
22, is right on his heels, with a second-place finish at Bellin and a third
at Bix. In addition, Lucas Rotich, 21, of Kenya, who specializes in 5,000m,
clocked 27:12 at 10,000m in Eugene, Oregon earlier this year and could
surprise.
The race also includes two former champs – 28-year-old Ed Muge (2008-09),
trying to improve on a fifth-place finish last year, and 31-year-old
Gilbert Okari (2003-04-05), who set the existing course record in 2003.
Also, another former champ, 42-year-old James Koskei (2002) of Kenya is
back seeking his third consecutive master's title.
Top Americans in the race include Patrick Smyth, 25, who won the Deseret
News 10K (28:11) in Salt Lake City on July 25, and Tim Young, 23, and Paul
Hefferon, 25, both of Rochester Hills, Mich.
"I'm quite satisfied with the elite field that we've assembled," said Elite
Athlete Coordinator Larry Barthlow. "It's an honor to have Deena and
Catherine in the race, and with the men, I'm just so excited to see how it
all shakes out with so many really talented athletes with a legitimate shot
at winning. With all that speed, if the conditions are right, you're going
to see some amazing times."
(Unofficial) Maine Road Race Champions to be Crowned
The TD Bank Beach to Beacon is considered the jewel for Maine's top road
racers and the winner of the Maine Resident race each year wears the
unofficial crown as the Maine Road Race Champion.
In the women's race, the question is whether 22-year-old Erica Jesseman of
Scarborough is finally ready to wrest the title away from her two training
partners, Sheri Piers, 40, of Falmouth and Kristin Barry, 37, of
Scarborough, who have won the past three titles and have each held the
course record (Piers' 34:17 is the present record).
The intrigue has been building this summer. Piers won the L.L. Bean 10K
Road Race on July 4 while Jesseman, a former University of New Hampshire
standout, was busy winning the Bridgton Four on the Fourth. They met
head-to-head two weeks later at the Clam Festival 5M and Jesseman won by 14
seconds. Over the weekend, Barry, the reigning TD Bank Beach to Beacon
champ, edged Jesseman at the Ocean Park 5K Road Race. The stage is now set
for Saturday's showdown.
In the Maine men's race, a new winner will be crowned as defending champ
Patrick Tarpy of Yarmouth is not able to take part this year.
That leaves Ellsworth's Louie Luchini as the favorite. Maine's most
decorated collegiate athlete ever, Luchini, 30, was a 10-time All-American
at Stanford and now serves as a Maine state representative. He will be
pushed by Jonny Wilson, 23, of Falmouth, who won the July 16 Pat's Pizza
Clam Festival Classic 5M in Yarmouth (24:58) and the Ocean Park 5K (14:56).
Other contenders include Ethan Shaw, 21, of Falmouth; Riley Masters, 21, of
Orono, Nick Wheeler, 25, of Rockland, and Josh Zolla, 25, of Freeport, who
won the L.L. Bean 10K Road Race in July and finished second in the Ocean
Park 5K.
14th Year for Special Event
What makes the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race so special?
Is it the gorgeous course that begins near the Crescent Beach State Park
entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth and winds along tree-lined roads and
past dramatic ocean vistas before ending 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams
Park near Portland Head Light, the most photographer lighthouse in America?
Or the tireless volunteers, more than 700 strong, who handle parking and
registration and provide water, first aid and security for the runners?
What about the local hospitality, including a "home-stay" program for the
elite athletes that rivals any in the sport? Then there's the flawless
operation under the direction of Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports
(www.dmsesports.com), considered one of the best race directors in the
business.
The generous sponsors also give the race an edge, from title sponsor TD
Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, to the other major corporate
sponsors – Hannaford, Poland Spring, MaineHealth, Fairchild Semiconductor,
Nike, Northeast Delta Dental, Wright Express and WCSH6-TV.
For many, a key element is the involvement of founder Joan Benoit
Samuelson, an ambassador and legend in her sport who ran those same roads
while growing up in Cape Elizabeth.
In the end, it's all these factors blending together that help create an
unforgettable event for the runners, solidifying the TD Bank Beach to
Beacon 10K's status as a "must" event on the U.S. road race circuit.
On Saturday, the wheelchair entrants begin at 7:55 a.m. and the runners
start at 8:10. Prize money of more than $60,000 is awarded to the runners,
including $10,000 for the winners, $5,000 for the second place winners and
cash prizes for the top 10 finishers. Other cash awards go to the top men
and women master's finishers, men and women M50 winners, men and women
wheelchair entrants and men and women from Maine. Also, age category
winners will receive L.L. Bean gift certificates. For more information
about the race, go to www.beach2beacon.org.
About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in
the U.S., providing more than 7.4 million customers with a full range of
retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more
than 1,250 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic,
Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its
subsidiaries offer customized wealth management services through TD Wealth,
and insurance products and services through TD Insurance, Inc. TD Bank is
headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. To learn more,
follow TD Bank on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US or visit
www.TDBank.com.
TD Bank is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The
Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services
company in North America and one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by
Moody's. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock
exchanges under the ticket symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A.,
which operates as TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, and is one of
the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The
Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses
in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made $73.5 million in
charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation's areas of
focus are affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the
environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an
online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.
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