Alevtina Ivanova Breaks Women's Record; Tom Nyariki Unseats Okari to Claim Men's Crown at 2006 TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth

In Maine races, Emily Levan repeats and 21-year-old Donny Drake dominates deep men's field

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine – Alevtina Ivanova shattered the women’s record and Tom Nyariki unseated three-time champ Gilbert Okari in the ninth edition of the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race on a picture-perfect Saturday in Cape Elizabeth.
Ivanova, fresh from training in her native Russia, ran away from the field (31:26) to claim her first Beach to Beacon title after finishing second and third that last two years. She broke Kenyan Catherine Ndereba’s five-year-old record 31:33. Kenyan Edna Kipligat (32:23) took second, while Luminita Talpos of Romania finished third (32:26).
In the men’s race, Nyariki of Kenya proved to the road race world that he is all the way back from a tragic 2003 injury that left him without sight in his right eye. A former Olympian, Nyariki (27:48) overtook Okari, the defending three-time champ and course record holder, at the four mile mark. Lawrence Kiprotich (28:04), the winner of last weekend’s Bix 7M, took second while Okari, hampered by a tight hamstring near Mile 4, finished third (28:09).

The group of elite athletes were among the 4,813 runners from 16 countries and 43 U.S. states who finished the winding, ocean-hugging, 6.2-mile course on a gorgeous morning in Maine. Thousands of spectators lined the course to cheer the runners.
In the Maine races, University of Maine senior Donny Drake, 21, of Portland (31:16) dominated the deepest and most talented field ever assembled for a Maine road race. Wearing bib number 2659, the former Deering High standout wasn’t even mentioned among the favorites. But he simply ran away from the field. Maine’s new “youth movement” also included Dartmouth All-American Ben True, 20, of North Yarmouth, who took second (31:49), and Ayalew Taye, 18, of Cape Elizabeth (31:56), who repeated his third-place performance from 2005. The top eight finishers were age 24 or under. Defending champ Eric Giddings, 19, of South Portland was out of the country and did not compete.

Emily Levan, 33, of Wiscasset (35:40) repeated in the women’s race, again finishing ahead of Susannah Beck, 38, of Sedgwick (35:57) and Kristin Pierce Barry, 32, of Scarborough (36:12).
“We saw some amazing races, from Alventina’s remarkable run to Tom Nyariki’s inspirational performance,” said Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race founder and Maine’s most recognizable athlete. “And the Maine runners really put on a show. Everyone who took part was a winner today, from the athletes, to the volunteers to the town of Cape Elizabeth and the lead sponsor, TD Banknorth. What more can you say.”

The race beneficiary this year was the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation (CEEF), selected in recognition of the support shown by the Town of Cape Elizabeth. CEEF is a non-profit organization that enriches learning for Cape youth by funding innovative projects, and also serves as a resource in helping other Maine towns start education foundations. TD Banknorth, through the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation, provided a cash donation of $30,000.

Race officials awarded $60,000 in prize money, including $10,000 to Nyariki and Ivanova plus $5,000 for the second place winner and cash prizes for the top 10 finishers. Winners in the other categories also received $1,000 top prizes.

Ivanova also received a well-deserved $2,500 bonus from Northeast Delta Dental for setting a course record. She set a grueling pace and beat her nearest competitor by almost a minute. Susan Chepkemei of Kenya, the 2004 champ and a favorite, finished a distant fourth (32:39).

Nyariki marked his return to the international road racing scene at the 2005 Beach to Beacon and finished third with a 28:05. This year, he stayed in the lead pack with Okari, Kiprotich and Evans Cheryout (fourth place, 28:09), then took advantage of Okari’s leg injury to grab the lead. Okari had entered the race determined to four-peat and hoping to break his course record.

Other winners included: Masters Men – Wayne Levy, 41, of Newton, Mass. (32:52); Masters Women – Mimi Fallon, 41, of Walpole, Mass. (37:32); Wheelchair Division, Patrick Doak, 38, of Concord, Mass., (23:59), setting a new course record previously held by six-time winner Tony Nogueira of Glen Ridge, N.J., who finished second (24:12) on Saturday.

In the Maine masters division, a pair of familiar names claimed titles: Bob Winn, 47, of Ogunquit, (32:55), the Maine Open champ in 1999 and 1998; and Christine Reaser, 40 of Dayton (39:06), who won the Maine Open title in 2001 and 2002.

Also, in the Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine Corporate Challenge, pitting teams of athletes from a number of New England corporations and businesses, UnumProvident again won first place in the mixed team division and LL Bean won the men’s division while Maine Medical Center won the women’s division.

Race organizers also awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award to Bob and Betty Crane of Cape Elizabeth for their tireless efforts. The award is named in honor of Jeff Butland, a former Maine Legislator and longtime race volunteer who suffered a heart attack and died in 2004 after volunteering at the race.

Founded by Maine’s largest bank, TD Banknorth, and Maine’s most famous athlete, Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race benefits a different charity each year as part of the TD Banknorth Shining the Light for Maine Youth program. The race director is Dave McGillivray, who has organized every TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon. He also serves as the race director of the BAA Boston Marathon.

The race course winds through the idyllic coastal town of Cape Elizabeth, starting near Crescent Beach State Park on Route 77 and ending at the Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

“We are just delighted to be a part of this race that means so much to so many people in Maine and all over New England, the U.S. and the world,” said David Ott, president of TD Banknorth Maine who ran his seventh TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon on Saturday. “It was another special day.”

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