MEDIA KIT: Story Ideas for Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K

Range of possible news/feature topics detailed below

Top 20 STORY IDEAS about the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, scheduled for Sunday, August 1 in Cape Elizabeth:


** Race Beneficiary: Riding To The Top **

NEWS HOOK: Under-publicized yet invaluable organization in midst of capital campaign to create an indoor riding facility to provide services year round to children in need.

BACKGROUND: Riding To The Top (RTT), a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding services to children and adults with physical, emotional and/or learning disabilities, is the beneficiary for this year’s Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race.

Peoples, through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, will provide a cash donation of $30,000 to Riding To The Top. In addition, nearly 100 people have signed up as "RTT Sponsored Runners," helping to raise additional funds for RTT. Following the race at Fort Williams, RTT instructors will provide therapeutic riding demonstrations with two horses from their program.

RTT’s selection as the race beneficiary coincides with the launch of the organization’s $1.4 million Capital Campaign, with the primary objective to raise funds to create an indoor riding facility at RTT’s Windham farm so services can be provided year round.

Riding To The Top, formed in 1993, offers programming for clients at its own farm in Windham, located on 50 acres off Land of Nod Road near the Westbrook line, and at a satellite location at Pineland Farms Equestrian Center in New Gloucester. About 80 percent of the riders are children.

RTT serves more than 250 clients with disabilities from more than 40 towns throughout Maine with the help of hundreds of volunteers. RTT believes that caring for horses and horseback riding are powerful tools for improving the lives of people with disabilities. Clients range in age from 3 to 70+ and have a wide range of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, brain injury, developmental delays, autism, and children deemed “at risk.”

Research and clinical evidence has shown that therapeutic riding contributes to improvements in balance, strength and coordination, along with self-confidence and self-esteem. In addition, therapeutic riding assists in the development of important life skills, including trust, responsibility and commitment. RTT’s web site is www.ridingtothetop.org.

CONTACT INFO: Tory Dietel Hopps, Campaign Director at RTT, at (207) 892-2813, ext. 13 or torydh@ridingtothetop.org or Wolfe PR 883-6083.

** Athens-Bound Massage Therapists at Race **

NEWS HOOK: Four of the massage therapists entrusted to rub down the best athletes in the world at the Olympic Games in Athens will display their talents at the Peoples Beach to Beacon.

BACKGROUND: The race course will not be the only place to find Olympians at this year’s Peoples Beach to Beacon.

Three Maine massage therapists who will work on elite athletes in Cape Elizabeth on Aug. 1 were selected to be part of the team that will travel to Athens later in August to provide sports massage therapy at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mary Alice Goering, Tammy Martin, both of Portland, and Kate Anagnostis of Bath, were selected from more than 500 applicants in 12 countries to be members of the Athens Health Services Sports Massage Team 2004 and provide services at the Olympic Games. Also, Bryan Buckley, a Massachusetts man who is considered one of America’s most experienced professional sports massage therapists and teachers, will provide services at the race and then lead the Paralympics Massage Team in Athens in September.

Most definitely, sore-muscled elite athletes at the Peoples Beach to Beacon are in good hands.
All four of the “Olympic” massage therapists will work on elite athletes under the tent after the press conference on Friday, July 30 at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth. They also will have their tables set up at the finish line two days later.

In Athens, they will work six 8-hour shifts per week over a two-week period, providing sports massage to athletes from any and all countries. Each is volunteering their time and must pay for their airfare and lodging in Athens.

Contact info: Visit www.athenssportsmassageteam2004.com for more background info. Contact Mary Alice Goering at (207) 879-1710 or maryaliceg@msn.com.


** McGillivray, Race Director Extraordinaire, Repeats Cross Country Run **

NEWS HOOK: Closing in on his 50th birthday, Dave McGillivray is a new father and recently completed a cross country run for charity, replicating a trek he took 25 years ago. He’s an interesting profile waiting to happen.

BACKGROUND: Dave McGillivray is considered one of the most talented race directors anywhere. But his ability to put together a road race, employing his technical wizardry and keen ability to balance the needs of runners, spectators, sponsors and volunteers, only begins to tell the story of this interesting man.

In May, McGillivray led a team of 10 TREK USA runners who ran 3,372 miles through 12 states in 24 days in a relay-style format to raise more than $300,000 for five children's charities. The run duplicated a feat he achieved running solo in 1978.

McGillivray also became a new father, just five days after directing the 2004 Boston Marathon and five days before departing on his cross-country run. He also managed to fit in the direction of the 2004 Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis during the spring.

But he has always been one to seek out new challenges and test his limits. He has competed in 31 consecutive Boston Marathons, 115 marathons total, eight Ironman Triathlons and a number of other endurance activities to raise money for charity.

And get this, since age 12, McGillivray has been running a mile for every year he's been on earth. He’s done it every year since then and now it’s an annual tradition, sometime on his birthday and sometimes close to it. Last year, a broken toe at the Peoples Beach to Beacon (darn folding table!) delayed his planned post-race 49-mile run by three weeks. This year, he will run 50 miles on his actual birth date, August 22.

Some prior birthday runs have included: 45th “birthday run” completed in a driving rainstorm; 25th completed around a quarter-mile track - 100 loops; 28th - ran the first two miles of the Boston Marathon course (in the opposite direction), then turned around and did the entire 26.2-mile race; 29th – ran 24 miles prior to a business trip in New York, then after returning to Logan rushed home to get the last five miles completed, one minute before midnight; 47th – ran it in Maine the day after Peoples Beach to Beacon, beginning at 2 a.m. and finishing around noon.

CONTACT INFO: To find out what makes McGillivray tick, contact him at (978) 258-8226 or dmse@dmsesports.com.

** Team Hoyt: A story of courage, of never giving up and of a father’s love**

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete in road races, marathons and even triathlons around the globe. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America. It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that son Rick can't walk or talk.

For more than 20 years, Dick, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines, serving as a source of inspiration. When Dick runs the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K for the first time this year, Rick will be in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing.

At Rick’s birth in 1962 the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child’s development. When he was eight months old, doctors told them he’d be a vegetable all his life. But with the support of his family, Rick has thrived. A Boston University graduate, he lives in Boston. Dick lives in Holland, Mass.

Contact Info: Dick and Rick are planning to arrive in Maine on Friday night and will take part in the Expo on Saturday. Dick’s email address is teamhoyt@samnet.net, phone (413) 245-9554. Their website is www.teamhoyt.com.

** Sunday Race Date Creates Challenges – and Opportunities **

For the first - and possibly only - time, the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K will take place on a Sunday. For race officials, the scheduling change has presented a number of challenges – disruption of local church services chief among them - but also some opportunities to enhance the race.

The new date breaks from the race’s traditional first Saturday in August schedule, which has been in place since its inception in 1998. Race officials decided to make a change for next year as a result of a number of factors, including scheduling of other major road races and Maine Track Club events.

Here’s the rationale: The first Saturday in August in August 7 this year, which would have conflicted with the 31-year-old Falmouth (Mass.) Road Race, which is held on the second Sunday in August and as a result will take place on Sunday, Aug. 8. But moving back to the previous Saturday, July 31, would have conflicted with a number of smaller races in Maine, including the Peaks Island 5-miler

And the Saturday before that, July 24, would have run the Peoples Beach to Beacon up against another major race for elite runners, the Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa, as well as the Maine Track Club’s Clam Festival 5-miler for local runners.

After settling on Aug. 1 as the best date, race officials approached business, town and church leaders to discuss concerns and issues. The Town Council later unanimously endorsed the switch, praising race officials with their efforts to work with the various groups.

A Sunday race also creates a sort of “race weekend” feel this year. As a result, race officials have organized a runner’s clinic on Saturday afternoon in Cape Elizabeth. Other activities may be planned.

The Sunday running also may increase the number of out-of-state runners, who now have an extra day for travel to Cape Elizabeth. In its relatively brief history, the Peoples Beach to Beacon has grown to become one of the most popular events on the road race circuit, drawing 5,000 runners from throughout the region and the world to the small coastal community in Maine.

“It’s been an interesting experiment this year, requiring a lot of hard work,” said David Weatherbie, president of the Peoples Beach to Beacon. “We really want to commend local businesses and churches for their willingness to work with us.”

Contact info: David Weatherbie, race president at 781-5970 or dweatherbie@seafax.com; Town Manager Mike McGovern, 767-3191.


** ‘TEAM ABLE,’ an inspiring group of Paralympians from across the country, to kick off national awareness effort at Peoples Beach to Beacon **

The Peoples Beach to Beacon will serve as the kick off to a national effort to highlight and recognize the incredible accomplishments of world-class athletes who compete with disabilities.

TEAM ABLE, which includes some of the world’s most inspirational and successful disabled athletes, will compete in the wheelchair portion of the race this year, adding yet another unique aspect to the event.

TEAM ABLE is the brainchild of Integra Sports, a Portland-based marketing firm focused on showcasing the athletic accomplishments of elite sports competitors who have disabilities. Mari White, who left her judicial post and private law practice to start Integra Sports, organized TEAM ABLE as a way to showcase disabled athletes whose exploits too frequently get overshadowed in the sports world.

MEDIA CONTACT: For more information, contact Mari White at Integra Sports, (207) 632.8631 or integrasports8@hotmail.com.

White said the Peoples Beach to Beacon was chosen to launch the public awareness campaign for three main reasons: its status as a premiere road race; the reputation of Joan Benoit Samuelson; and the race beneficiary, Riding To The Top, which provides services to children with disabilities.

“The athletes coming to town want to supports Joan’s, compete for the wheelchair prize money, gain visibility and, most importantly, provide support and inspiration to the Riding To The Top organization,” White said.

TEAM ABLE’s roster reads like a who’s who of top disabled athletes who overcame long odds to fulfill dreams of athletic achievement. Some will compete in the Summer Paralympics in September in Athens. (Not to be confused with the Special Olympics.) The six athletes, with brief bios, include:

Chris Waddell - Outside Magazine asked, “Could [Chris] be the World’s Greatest Athlete?”, People named him one of “The Fifty Most Beautiful People in the World,” and Skiing called him one of “The 25 Greatest Skiers in North America.” In his career, Waddell has won more Paralympic medals (12) than any male skier in history. He’s a World Champion in two vastly different sports (alpine skiing in the winter and track in the summer). In 1998 as a freshman ski racer at Middlebury College, Waddell broke his back in a freak accident on the hill. Two months later he returned to school and three days short of the accident’s one-year anniversary he started skiing in a monoski. He is credited with revolutionizing the sport. Waddell recently retired from winter sports to concentrate on track and field and is a favorite to medal at the Summer Paralympic Games.

Lacey Heward – At 16 months, a 100 lb. barbell fell from a weight lifting bench onto her back, crushing her body but not her spirit. She endured years of surgery and painful procedures and therapies. She began swimming at age 2, tried out for the basketball team in junior high and once set a record for pull-ups in her school district. In high school, she started skiing. By 2002, she earned a spot on the U.S. Disabled Ski Team. At the 2002 Paralympics, she won two bronze medals in the Super G and Giant Slalom events. She is the reigning Super G World Cup champion. On dialysis four times per day, Heward will receive a kidney transplant in September. She has her sights set on the overall World Cup title next year.

Carl Burnett – Born in Cape Elizabeth, Burnett attends Dartmouth College and is a member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

Laurie Stephens – A familiar name, she has won the wheelchair division four times in the six-year history of the Peoples Beach to Beacon. Born with spina bifida, Stephens has participated in disabled sports since the age of five. By age eight, she started participating at the National Junior Wheelchair Championships, eventually competing in track and field, swimming, archery, table tennis, and weightlifting. She has received numerous accolades and held many titles over the years as a skier, wheelchair racer and swimmer. Stephens also is a full-time student at the University of New Hampshire, majoring in therapeutic recreation.

Chris Devlin-Young – Another highly decorated Winter Paralympian, he finished second in the overall World Cup standings for 2003-04 and will attempt in the 2006 Games to become the first disabled skier to win four gold medals. Devlin-Young also has done extensive work with handicapped ski programs in New England. He was injured in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crash in Alaska, paralyzed in the process of saving several members of his crew.

Kelly Bruno – A sophomore student at Duke, Bruno excels in track and road racing, and in fact holds the world record in the 800-meter run for female below-the-knee amputees. She is training for the 2004 Paralympics next month. Born with fibular hemimelia (missing the fibula in her right leg), she had an ankle disarticulation at six months. By high school, she had developed into a top sprinter, eventually competing in championship events in Canada and England.


** Beach to Beacon Showcase Event for Maine Runners **

The elite distance runners from around the world who converge on Cape Elizabeth for the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race each year attract much of the attention from the media and the public. But the competitiveness of the race among Maine's top runners is also a worthwhile story. Maine runners consider the race the jewel of the racing season. The winner of this showcase event wears the unofficial title as the state road race champion. Last year, South Portland high schooler Eric Giddings surprised many by winning the men’s race. He is bypassing the race this year, guaranteeing a new champion.

MEDIA CONTACT: Race President David Weatherbie, dweatherbie@seafax.com or (207) 781-5970, himself an avid, top-flight runner, could provide valuable insights into the stature of the race among Maine runners. Also available as sources about what makes the race special are Byrne Decker of Yarmouth (207-846-4461) and Michael Payson of Falmouth (207-781-4617), both top Maine runners; and Julia Kirtland of South Harpswell (207-781-4617), winner of the first three races, and Christine Snow-Reaser of Dayton (207-499-2198), a two-time champ.


** Returning World-class Runners **

Year in and year out, the Peoples Beach to Beach 10K Road Race attracts some of the world’s best road racers from around the globe. Another stellar elite field is expected for the 2004 race. Both of the 2003 champs – Catherine Ndereba and Gilbert Okari, both of Kenya - are planning to defend their titles. Ndereba is a five-time winner who will compete in Olympic marathon for Kenya and this year won her third Boston Marathon. Also in the field this year is Khalid Khannouchi, a Moroccan-born U.S. citizen who won the 1999 race and held the world record in the marathon for nearly four years. A number of top Japanese runners have signed on, and commitments will continue throughout the month. To monitor the latest entries and for elite runner bios, go to www.wolfenews.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: FMI on the elite field, contact Larry Barthlow, the elite athlete director, at
(617) 438-8098 or larry@worldeventsnetwork.com.


** International Flavor **

Each year, families from Cape Elizabeth and surrounding areas invite elite athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia and elsewhere around the globe into their homes. The home stays serve as a sort of cultural exchange for the athletes and the host families as they swap recipes and stories. Luckily for the families who host runners every year, the Sunday running of the race means an extra day to spend with their runners.

Media contact: Janet McLaughlin, Host Family Coordinator, 799-6190 or JMcL1147@aol.com.


** Corporate Challenge **

Bragging rights will again be at stake among some of the region’s most recognizable companies at this year’s Peoples Beach to Beacon.

Now in its third year, the race’s Corporate Challenge, sponsored by UnumProvident, has become a popular feature as teams compete for a Corporate Challenge Cup. Last year, more than 400 runners competed for their employer, representing more than two dozen companies. Winners in 2003 included UnumProvident in the mixed team division, Bath Iron Works in the men’s division and Maine Medical Center in the women’s division.

The teams are scored using net times and will be adjusted by age and gender under the WAVA (World Association of Veteran Athletes) system. The top four runners count toward the overall score, and there is no limit to the number of runners who can be entered on a team. Awards for the Corporate Challenge will be presented to the individuals who score for the top three teams in any of the three classifications: men only, women only, and mixed. The winning team in each class receives a Corporate Challenge Cup for display at their respective organizations. Corporations as well as business partnerships such as LLCs are eligible to participate.

Media Contact: David Weatherbie, race president at (207) 781-5970 or dweatherbie@seafax.com


** Joan Benoit Samuelson **

Founder of the race with lead sponsor Peoples Heritage Bank, for which she also serves as spokesperson for the "Peoples Promise: Shining the Light for Maine Youth" program, Joan Benoit Samuelson remains one of Maine most famous athletes and familiar faces.

This year is special because it marks the 20th anniversary of Samuelson’s historic gold medal run in the first women's Olympic marathon in Los Angeles. She has continued to amaze and enlighten in the years since, serving as an inspiration and a role model for girls and women around the globe.

MEDIA INFO: If you would like to interview Joan prior to the pre-race press conference, one-on-one interviews are being scheduled for Wednesday, July 21 at Fort Williams. Call (207-883-6083) or e-mail (beryl@wolfenews.com) Beryl Wolfe at Wolfe PR if you would like to arrange an interview on that day.


** Technological Advances **

The use of advanced technology is yet another aspect of the Peoples Beach to Beacon that makes it a premiere event. Computer chips made by ChampionChip attached to each runner's shoes determine each finisher's exact time for the race. The chips are processed by Granite State Race Services to compile a list of finishers and their times. In addition, because of a history of razor-thin finishes, organizers will again use a finish line camera – unusual for a road race of its size. Lynx System Developers, Inc., based in Woburn, Mass., is providing a FinishLynx, the world's most popular and versatile digital photofinish and timing system. FinishLynx is warming up for the Peoples Beach to Beacon by working the U.S. Olympic Trials before arriving in Cape Elizabeth. A FinishLynx line-scan camera only sees a very narrow piece of the world: the finish line. It looks at the finish line many times a second and stores each of these images. In case of a close finish, the images become a vital tool for the race judge to use in determining the winner.

Media Contact: FMI about ChampionChip or FinishLynx, visit online at www.championchip.com or www.finishlynx.com. Also, at FinishLynx, contact Giles Norton, Director of Corporate Communications, at (800) 989-5969 or nortong@finishlynx.com.


** Hannaford Never Stops Surprising Road Race Fans **

Hannaford, as the official trainer of the 2004 Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K, is sponsoring a pair of newsworthy events. Every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. throughout July, Hannaford is conducting weekly training run around Back Cove in Portland. The runs start at a bright red Hannaford tent in the Forest Avenue store parking lot. The first three runs will be led by Hannaford’s corporate fitness trainers. The final run (5:30 on July 27) will be led by Olympic Gold Medalist and Peoples Beach to Beacon founder Joan Benoit-Samuelson. These mini events will all begin with a brief talk about training and nutrition, and the importance of hydration and stretching. Hannaford is providing bottled water and snacks for all participants. Also, on Friday, July 30, from 4:30-6 p.m., two of the biggest names in road racing will make a special appearance at the Forest Avenue Hannaford store in Portland. Catherine Ndereba and Khalid Khannouchi, both former world record holders in the marathon and past Peoples Beach to Beacon champs, will prepare their favorite native dishes and provide samples to customers. Ndereba, a Kenyan, will prepare ugali and stew while Moroccan-born Khannouchi, now a U.S. citizen, will prepare couscous.

Media Contact: Visit Hannaford online at www.hannaford.com to view a special page devoted to training, including nutrition tips provided by Joan. FMI, contact Caren Epstein at (207) 885-3132 or Cepstein@hannaford.com.


** Medical Tent **

Just like other aspects of the race, the medical care provided athletes at the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K is second to none. Teams of medical personnel roam the race course looking for runners in trouble, but the nerve center is the medical tent located just beyond the finish line. There, as many as 100 of the region’s most talented doctors, nurses, surgeons, EMTs, paramedics, physical therapists and pediatricians volunteer their time for the event each year. Following the race, the tent is bustling with activity, like something right out of the old TV sitcom MASH. The medical operation is equipped to treat a variety of disorders, ranging from heat exhaustion to orthopedic problems to heart trouble.

Media Contact: FMI, contact Doug Aiken, the medical director, at daiken@intermed.com (email is best way to reach him) or 846-9013.


** Volunteer Effort **

NEWS HOOK: The trials and tribulations of locating, assigning and coordinating more than 800 volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The volunteer effort necessary to make the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K a premiere event is often taken for granted. It shouldn’t be. Coordinating more than 800 volunteers is a monumental task that requires patience, perseverance and a certain amount of guile. Volunteer Director Maya Cohen of Cape Elizabeth brings a personal touch to her management of the volunteers. Her program is structured to include a host of coordinators who oversee volunteers in different areas, including water stations, parking, security, course set up and breakdown, and directing traffic.

Media Contact: FMI, contact Maya Cohen at (207) 838-8816 or mmcohen@maine.rr.com.


** Young Peoples Run **

A children’s 1K race – touted as the Young Peoples Run – will again complement the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race. The race, which has received little media attention in the past, continues to grow. Open to kids ages 12 and under, the event will be held in Fort Williams Park following the 10K at 9:30 a.m. The Young Peoples Run will again boast a field size of more than 500 youngsters.
Peoples Heritage Bank and other sponsors

Without the help of primary sponsor Peoples Heritage Bank and others such as Nike, UnumProvident Corp., Poland Spring, MBNA and WCSH TV-6, the race would not be the first-class event it is today. Peoples Heritage Bank's Bill Ryan met with Olympic Gold Medallist Joan Benoit Samuelson seven years ago to create a premier running event in her home state. Bank officials such as David Ott run in the race and assign staff to see the race from beginning to end each year. A number of bank employees volunteer with the race. For more information, contact Julie McQuillan at 207-828-7558, or visit online at the race web site at www.beach2beacon.org or the bank’s web site at www.peoplesheritage.com.


** Town of Cape Elizabeth **

The Town of Cape Elizabeth really comes through for this event. Town officials serve on the 50-plus-member organizing committee and are involved from the time they begin meeting in January to the day in early August when 5,000 runners and more than 10,000 spectators line the streets of this coastal town. From milemarkers being placed, to police and traffic flow, to using town buildings for registration, the town is involved in making the event a success each year. For more information, call Town Manager Mike McGovern at Cape Elizabeth Town Hall at 207-767-3323.


** T-Shirt Contest Winners **

The T-shirts provided to adult and child runners, volunteers and staff for the 2004 Peoples Beach to Beacon were both designed by Cape Elizabeth students as part of an annual contest. The winning designs were created by (adult T-shirt) – Max Bartlett, a 10th-grader at Cape Elizabeth High School, and (children’s T-shirt) – Kirsten Rudberg, a first-grader at Pond Cove Elementary. Kirsten’s design will appear on more than 500 t-shirts for the 1K Young Peoples Run, while Max’s design will grace the t-shirts of more than 5,000 adult runners and 1,000 volunteers.


** New Post-Race Layout to be Repeated **

Race officials are sticking with a new post-race layout at Fort Williams that worked last year to better follow the natural flow of runners from the finish to water to returning their chips to the awards ceremony, etc. The aim was to reduce congestion at the finish line, improve the flow of people as they moved from one area of the race to another and enhance the use of the space that’s available. Expect the same design this year.


** Did you know? **

Ben True, who graduated from Greely High School this spring as one of the best high school distance runners ever in Maine, will compete in the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K on behalf of Riding To The Top, the race beneficiary.

Prize money for the elite male and female champions has been increased from $7,500 to $10,000 this year. In all, nearly $60,000 will be awarded to place winners in the elite, masters and Maine categories.

The more than 5,000 registered runners come from 39 different states and more than 10 countries around the globe.

Gov. John Baldacci is again planning to run in the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, perhaps as part of the Riding To The Top team


NOTE TO REPORTERS/EDITORS: For more information or assistance with any of the above items that do not contain contact info, please contact Beryl or Jason Wolfe at Wolfe PR – (207) 883-6083, beryl@wolfenews.com, jason@wolfenews.com – or Julie McQuillan at Peoples Heritage Bank – (207) 828-7558 , jmcquillan@banknorth.com. Thanks!