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Top Headlines

For Immediate Release
July 11, 2003

Contact:
Larry Barthlow
(617) 438-8098
E-mail: jason@wolfenews.com

Jason Wolfe
(207) 883-6083

Web Site: http://www.beach2beacon.org

Men's Champ to Defend; Four-time Women's Champ Seeking to Reclaim Crown at Peoples Beach to Beacon August 2

Elite field taking shape as prestigious Cape Elizabeth, Maine, road race draws near

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, winner of the first four Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Races and one of the world's top distance runners, will return August 2 to try to reclaim her crown, race organizers announced.

Kenya's James Koskei, the reigning men's champ, also is set to return to defend the title he won in 2002 in a dramatic sprint to the finish tape. The men's field is expected to again be deep and talented, featuring some of the world's best road racers.

"I think there are five or six guys who can win the race, just like last year when it became a real dogfight," said Larry Barthlow, the elite athlete coordinator for the Peoples Beach to Beacon, now in its sixth year. "And on the women's side, Catherine is a real crowd favorite. She's determined to get her title back, but she's got her work cut out for her."

Ndereba finished third in an upset last year, marking the first and only time she has not won the women's portion of the Peoples Beach to Beacon. The 2002 champ, Adriana Fernandez of Mexico, wanted to defend her crown, but pulled out because of a scheduling conflict with the Pan Am Games.

Top challengers so far include Luminita Talpos of Romania, who finished 3rd at the Peachtree 10K last week and appears in peak condition, according to road race insiders. She also knows the Cape Elizabeth course, having finished 5th here while coming off an injury in 2001. Kenyan Sally Barsosio, a world champ at 10,000m and winner of a number of prestigious road races, also will contend, as will Zivile Balciunaite, a Lithuanian record holder. Top American Elva Dryer also could push the leaders.

On the men's side, Koskei, the runner up in 2001 before winning last year, knows the course well and is in good shape, Barthlow said. To repeat, he likely will need to shave time off his 28:11 winning time last year. But history is not on his side. No elite man has ever repeated as champion of the Peoples Beach to Beacon.

The early line says Koskei's main competition will come from Kenyans Paul Koech, who has clocked a 26:36 on a track, and John Korir, the #1 ranked road racer in 2001 and 2002 who has won no less than 13 major races in recent years. Other runners capable of claiming the title include Berhannu Dejene of Ethiopia, who won the 2003 Bolder Boulder 10K in May, and Habte Jifar of Ethiopia, a blazer on the track.

Barthlow said he is looking to round out the elite field of 15 men and 15 women by pursuing some top Japanese runners.

"Our race is so close to the World Championships and the Olympics or Pan Am games that you never know who may need to pull out or who may surprise you and want it," Barthlow said. "We have a great field so far, but I dare say it's not complete yet. Stay tuned."

Race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson said that she is impressed with the field so far.

"It's always a treat for the many fans who come out to watch and for those who participate in the race to see these fantastic athletes up close," said Samuelson, a Mainer and running legend who won the gold medal in the first Olympic marathon for women in 1984. "Catherine's participation is always exciting and it's great to see so many new faces from around the world, year in and year out. The 2003 race will be another showcase event."

The Peoples Beach to Beacon also attracts the top road racers locally and throughout New England among the 5,000 participants. More than $50,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. The event also features a children's 1K race. The scenic course will be the same as last year, beginning at Crescent Beach along Route 77 and ending 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park at the Portland Head lighthouse, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

The race director is Dave McGillivray, who has organized every Peoples Beach to Beacon and has helped transform the event into New England's premier road race. He also serves as the race director of the BAA Boston Marathon.

In addition to Peoples Heritage Bank, which sponsors and coordinates the race, other major corporate partners this year include Nike, UnumProvident Corp., Poland Spring, Hannaford and WCSH TV-6.

The youth organization chosen by the bank to be the race beneficiary is Seeds of Peace, a group that promotes tolerance and understanding among youth around the world through its various camps, including one in Otisfield, Maine. Peoples will provide a cash donation of $30,000 from race proceeds, and Seeds of Peace will further benefit from fundraising opportunities and publicity valued at more than $40,000.

For additional information, including volunteer opportunities, visit the race web site at www.beach2beacon.org or call the toll-free hotline at (888) 480-6940.

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