Online Registration Details Announced for 2011 TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Registration begins March 14 for Cape residents, March 15 for general public, and lottery expanded by 250 slots for popular road race

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (January 24, 2011) – Organizers of the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race today announced the online registration plan for this year’s Saturday, Aug. 6 race in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Similar to last year’s new program, the registration process for the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race will begin March 14 for Cape Elizabeth residents, then on March 15 open up to the general public. A lottery with an expanded 1,750 slots – up from 1,500 last year – will then take place from March 15 to March 22.

Here is the registration schedule:

• Monday, March 14, 2011 at 7 a.m.: online registration opens for Cape Elizabeth Residents only. First come, first serve. Limit of 600.
• Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 7 a.m.: online registration opens to general public. First come, first serve. Limit of 4,000.
• The remaining 1,750 spots will be distributed by lottery. Provisions for couples and families will be made in the lottery process. Registration for the lottery will be held from March 15 to March 22. The lottery drawing will be on March 23. The race will charge a $5 fee to enter the lottery.
• The race will allow transfers from May 1 through June 30. The race will charge a $5 transfer fee. Cape Elizabeth residents registered in the 600 entries allocated to Cape Elizabeth residents can only transfer to another Cape Elizabeth resident.

"We made a significant change in the registration process last year and feel overall it went well, so we are staying the course,” said volunteer Race President David Weatherbie. “Also, we are pleased to be able to expand the number of lottery slots this year to accommodate more runners."

Last year’s Cape resident registration filled in 21 minutes, while online registration for the general public was open just 32 minutes before all slots were filled. Runners will continue to register at the race website, www.beach2beacon.org.
New for 2011, registered runners will receive complimentary technical, or “tech”, running shirts. The tech t-shirts, popular with runners for their moisture wicking capability, will replace the traditional cotton t-shirts. Also, due to the race having to pay a new $25,000 fee to the town of Cape Elizabeth for its use of Fort Williams for the event, the registration fee has increased $5 for 2011 to $40 per participant.

After Cape residents, the general public and lottery slots have been assigned, the remaining bibs will be set aside for runners who have participated in every TD Bank Beach to Beacon – known as “streakers” – as well as sponsors, elite athletes and charities.

Race organizers will accept approximately 7,200 registrations this year, again targeting a race day field of 6,000. A record 5,672 runners finished the race last year. The race has more than doubled in size since it debuted in 1998 with 2,408 runners crossing the finish line.

The TD Bank Beach to Beacon is one of Maine’s premiere sporting events and one of the most popular events on the U.S. road race circuit. The race draws runners from throughout the region and the world to the picturesque coastal community of Cape Elizabeth. Thousands of spectators cheer on the runners along the scenic course and at the finish, and more than 800 volunteers help ensure a smooth operation.

The race begins near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, winds past breathtaking ocean vistas, and ends in Fort Williams Park at the historic Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

More than $60,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. For more information, visit www.beach2beacon.org.

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the title sponsor of the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist from Cape Elizabeth and Maine’s most admired athlete. The race is directed by Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports, who also directs the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and is regarded as one of the top road race managers in the world.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the United States, providing customers with a full range of financial products and services at more than 1,250 convenient locations from Maine to Florida. On September 30, 2010, The South Financial Group, Inc. was acquired by TD Bank Group, and its subsidiary Carolina First Bank merged with TD Bank. Carolina First Bank will continue to operate under the trade names Carolina First Bank in North and South Carolina and Mercantile Bank in Florida until conversion and rebranding in 2011. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. Carolina First Bank and Mercantile Bank are trade names of TD Bank, N.A. For more information, visit www.TDBank.com. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America and one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by Moody's. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.

About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made over $69.6 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Bank's community relations departments and are focused on the areas of affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.

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Here is more information about the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K