Elite List, Top Mainers at Beach to Beacon
TD Bank Beach to
Beacon 10K to Feature Top World-Class Athletes, Including American
Record-Holder Deena Kastor, and Best in Maine and New England on Saturday
Esteemed Cape
Elizabeth, Maine road race focusing attention on youth substance abuse
prevention, intervention and treatment with race beneficiary Day One
CAPE
ELIZABETH, Maine (August
2, 2011) ÛÒ 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 10KÛªs reputation as a world-class event with small-town
charm.
This
yearÛªs 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 yearÛªs 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.
ÛÏWe 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,Û 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. ÛÏThis yearÛªs
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.Û
Marathon
Legends Deena Kastor and Catherine Ndereba Headline WomenÛªs Field, while
Deep and Speedy MenÛªs Side Might be Fastest Ever
American
Deena Kastor and Kenyan Catherine Ndereba, Olympic medalists and running
legends, headline the womenÛªs field for the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K
while the talented menÛªs 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.
ÛÏI am finally running Beach to Beacon, which for years
has been at the top of my list for races I want to run,Û Kastor said
recently in an interview with Road Race Weekly. ÛÏJoan 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.Û
Kastor first broke SamuelsonÛªs 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 ChepkuriÛªs 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 FreihoferÛªs Run for Women and the New York Mini 10K
this summer. She has run 31:07 at 10,000m on the track.
in June.
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 Û÷nÛª 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 menÛªs race is likely to be a sprint to the finish
with a number of speedsters ready to assume the mantle with GebremariamÛªs
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 ÛÒ 27:15 at the Parelloop 10K in Holland ÛÒ
and once held the 10K world record (27:01) . Fellow Kenyan Mike Kigen,
25, finished second in that race in 27:25 ÛÒ 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 ÛÒ 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 masterÛªs 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.
ÛÏIÛªm
quite satisfied with the elite field that weÛªve assembled,Û said
Elite Athlete Coordinator Larry Barthlow. ÛÏItÛªs an honor to have
Deena and Catherine in the race, and with the men, IÛªm 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, youÛªre
going to see some amazing times.Û
(Unofficial)
Maine Road Race Champions to be Crowned
The TD
Bank Beach to Beacon is considered the jewel for MaineÛªs top road racers
and the winner of the Maine Resident race each year wears the unofficial crown
as the Maine Road Race Champion.
Click Here: Cheap Golf Golf Clubs
In the
womenÛªs 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 (PiersÛª 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 SaturdayÛªs showdown.
In the
Maine menÛªs race, a new winner will be crowned as defending champ Patrick
Tarpy of Yarmouth is not able to take part this year.
That
leaves EllsworthÛªs Louie Luchini as the favorite. MaineÛªs
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 PatÛªs 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 ÛÏhome-stayÛ program for the elite athletes
that rivals any in the sport? Then thereÛªs 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,
AmericaÛªs Most Convenient Bank®, to the other major
corporate sponsors ÛÒ 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, itÛªs all these factors blending together that help create an
unforgettable event for the runners, solidifying the TD Bank Beach to Beacon
10KÛªs status as a ÛÏmustÛ 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
masterÛªs 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, AmericaÛªs Most
Convenient Bank
TD Bank, AmericaÛªs 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 MoodyÛªs. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and
Toronto stock exchanges under the ticket symbol ÛÏTD.Û 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,
AmericaÛªs Most Convenient Bank, and is one of the 10 largest commercial
banking organizations in the United States. The FoundationÛªs 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 FoundationÛªs 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.
#
# #
TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race – List of
Elite Athletes ÛÒ as of 8-1-11
Men
Shawn Forrest,
Australia
Tekeste Kebede, Ethiopia
Toshinari Takaoka, Japan
Micah Kogo, Kenya
Mike Kigen, Kenya
Ed Muge,
Kenya
Alan Kiprono,
Kenya
Hosea Mwok Macharinyang,
Kenya
Lani Rutto, Kenya
Lucas Rotich, Kenya
Sammy Chelanga,
Kenya
James Koskei, Kenya
Gilbert Okari, Kenya
Patrick Smyth,
USA
Paul Hefferon, USA
Tim Young, USA
Women
Benita Willis,
Australia
Diane Nukuri-Johnson,
Burundi
Bizunesh Deba,
Ethiopia
Wude Ayalew,
Ethiopia
Aheza Kiros, Ethiopia
Mikister Mekonnin, Ethiopia
Belainesh Gebre,
Ethiopia
Yumi Sato,
Japan
Yosiko Fujinaga,
Japan
Yui Sakai,
Japan
Catherine Ndereba, Kenya
Jelliah Tinea, Kenya
Kathy Butler, UK
Rebecca Donaghue,
USA
Melissa White,
USA
Deena Kastor, USA
Adriana Pirtea-Nelson, USA