Online Registration for Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race Now Available

Race organizers encouraging runners to register online at www.beach2beacon.org

Online registration is now available for runners entering this year's popular Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race on Sunday, August 1 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Race organizers are encouraging runners to register at the race web site, www.beach2beacon.org. Printed entry forms also will be available at all Peoples branches throughout the state of Maine in late April.

The field size for the event, one of New England’s marquee road races, will remain at 5,000 runners this year. Now in its seventh year, the race is expected to fill up by early summer, so those interested are encouraged to register early.

The Sunday running of the 2004 race marks a break from the race’s traditional first Saturday in August schedule, which has been in place since its inception in 1998. Scheduling conflicts and other factors prompted race officials to make a change for this year.

New this year, as a result of the date change, race organizers hope to create a “race weekend” atmosphere with still-to-be-confirmed events on Saturday for participants and road race enthusiasts.

In its relatively brief history, the Peoples Beach to Beacon has established itself as Maine’s premiere sporting event and one of the most popular events on the road race circuit. Runners from throughout the region and top elite runners from around the world converge on the scenic coastal community. As many as 10,000 spectators line the course to cheer the runners, and more than 700 volunteers help ensure a smooth operation.

The race begins near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77 and ends at the historic Portland Head lighthouse at Fort Williams Park.

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 wheelchair division, and a children's 1K race with 500 kids participating.

“The race is a world-class event, thanks to the great volunteers, spectators, runners and elite athletes who come to Maine to compete,” said Michael W. McNamara, President and CEO of Peoples, a Maine-based bank with more than 60 branches throughout the state. He also noted the expertise of the race director, Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports, who also directs the Boston Marathon and will be at the helm for the upcoming 2004 Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials in St. Louis.

The 2003 Peoples Beach to Beacon included a record setting performance by Gilbert Okari of Kenya, who won the men’s race with a time of 27:28, shattering the four-year-old course record by 21 seconds. In the women’s race, Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba (31:53) reclaimed her crown after a one-year absence for a record fifth Peoples Beach to Beacon title. Among Maine runners, 16-year-old Eric Giddings of South Portland and Maggie Hanson, 23, of Bowdoinham, won, signaling a changing of the guard.

Peoples sponsors the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the Olympic gold medallist and Maine’s most recognizable athlete. Samuelson also serves as a spokesperson for the bank during the year to promote the race and the bank’s “Peoples Promise” program, which benefits Maine youth with scholarships, sponsorship programs and charitable gifts.

The race beneficiary for this year’s race is 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.

Peoples, through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, will provide a cash donation of $30,000 to Riding To The Top. Additionally, the organization will benefit from fundraising opportunities and publicity valued at more than $40,000.

With locations in Windham and at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center each year serves more than 200 children with disabilities from more than 40 towns throughout Maine. RTT believes that caring for horses and horseback riding are powerful tools for improving the lives of people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, brain injury, developmental delays, autism, and for children deemed “at risk.” Visit the organization’s web site at www.ridingtothetop.org.

For additional info about the race, visit the race web site at www.beach2beacon.org or the bank’s web site at www.peoplesheritage.com. To find out more about volunteer opportunities, please call the race hotline toll free at (888) 480-6940. Also new this year, volunteer registration will be available online beginning in April.

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