Kimani, Ndereba Win Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K in Close Race Featuring Olympic Runners, World's Best

Exciting women's race comes down to judge's ruling

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Joseph Kimani of Kenya, who holds the world record in the 10K, overpowered some of the top elite runners in the world on Saturday to win the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth.

Kimani, last year's runner up, pulled away from the world-class field with a blazing fourth mile and crossed the finish line in 28:07, 13 seconds ahead of Simson Limareng of Kenya. Defending champion Khalid Khannouchi, the world record-holder in the marathon, returned from injury to compete in his first race as a U.S. citizen. He finished fifth (28:39).

True to form in the three-year history of the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K, the women's race came down to another neck-and-neck finish - with this one the closest yet. Two-time defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya edged U.S. Olympian Libbie Hickman in a finish that required a ruling by a team of judges, including referee Steve Vaitones, a certified USA Track & Field official. Both runners, with identical official times of 32:19, thought they had won, but Vaitones and the other judges determined Ndereba crossed the finish first. Adding drama to the race was the fact that Ndereba fell at about the 1.5-mile mark, got stepped on and scraped her knee and shoulder, but still managed to get back up and grit out a victory.

The Maine champions were Todd Coffin of Freeport (31:36) and Julia Kirtland of Harpswell (35:35), who won for the third straight year. Other winners included: Masters Men - Andrew Masai, Kenya (29:12, a new course record for the masters); Masters Women - Judi St. Hilaire, U.S. (33:37); Wheelchair Division, Tony Nogueira, U.S. (24:34) and Laurie Stephens, U.S. (30:25). (For additional race results, go to www.coolrunning.com or www.wolfenews.com.)

More than 3,400 runners completed the race and an estimated 8,000 spectators lined the picturesque course. Now in its third year, the popular race again attracted some of the top elite road racers from around the world, including at least two who will compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney next month. The race also included a strong field of New England and Maine runners.

Founded by Maine's largest bank, Peoples Heritage Bank, and Maine's most famous athlete, Olympic Gold Medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race benefits a different charity each year as part of the Peoples Shining the Light for Maine Youth program. This year's race beneficiary is Turning Point Farm, a new, long-term home for abused or neglected children that just opened in New Gloucester, Maine.

"In just three short years, the race has become a world-class event," said Joan Benoit Samuelson. "Some 900 people volunteer to make it all happen, and more than 40 host families have the elite athletes stay at their homes for the race. Add to that all the spectators that line the beautiful course and you have an exhilarating race. It's just a great part of Maine."

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 elated to see this kind of a field of top athletes, but also to see people from Maine and all over New England, the U.S., and the world come to Maine for this race," said David Ott, chief banking officer at the bank and a race finisher. Peoples Heritage Bank, the state's largest bank with 70 branches, is also part of the Banknorth Group, which has banks in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and upstate New York.

Other sponsors of the race are MBNA, Poland Spring, Nike, American Airlines and WCSH-6, the local NBC affiliate that aired a half hour special the night of the race.

More than $50,000 in prize money was awarded to the top 10 runners for the men and women, including $7,500 for the winner and $5,000 for the second-place finisher. Other cash awards went to the top men and women in the masters, Maine, and wheelchair categories. A 1K "Young Peoples Run" for kids 12 and under also saw some 400 entrants and a multitude of activities for children.

"It's just a great event, and the turn out this year was a real show of support," said Samuelson, who won the first woman's marathon in the 1984 Olympics and still holds the American marathon record she set in 1985. Still a strong runner, Samuelson competed in the Olympic Trials in February of this year in South Carolina, finishing ninth.

Other top finishers among the male elite runners included William Kiptum (3rd, 28:21), Reuben Cheriuyot (4th, 28:37), Abel Ondeyo (6th, 28:42), Hezron Otwori (7th, 28:54) and German Silva (8th, 29:04). Other top women finishers included Natalie Nalepa (3rd, 32:28), Jane Ngotho (4th, 32:37), Svetlana Zakharova (5th, 32:40), Anne Marie Lauck (6th, 33:11), Wilma Van Onna (7th, 33:23), Yuko Arimori (8th, 33:28) and British Olympian Marian Sutton (9th, 33:36).

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