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

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

PORTLAND, Maine – Online registration is now available for runners entering this year's popular Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race on Saturday, August 6 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 May.

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 eighth year, the race is expected to fill up by early summer, so those interested are encouraged to register early.

The Peoples Beach to Beacon is returning to its traditional first Saturday in August schedule this year. 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 and stunning 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. Peoples is the title sponsor of the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the Olympic gold medallist and Maine’s most recognizable athlete.

“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. “It’s also a measure of the love and respect within the racing world for Joan – this truly has become ‘Joanie’s Race.’ “

McNamara also noted the expertise of the race director, Dave McGillivray of DMSE Sports, who also directs the Boston Marathon.

For additional info about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org or call the race hotline toll free at (888) 480-6940.

The 2004 Peoples Beach to Beacon again boasted the fastest time in a 10K road race in the world – a 27:35 from Kenya’s Gilbert Okari, who also won in 2003. On the women’s side, Susan Chepkemei (31:35) dominated the field, spoiling Catherine Ndereba’s bid for a sixth title. Among Maine runners, Ethan Hemphill of Freeport (31:45) took the men’s title and Susannah Beck of Yarmouth (35:22) dominated the women’s field.

“The elite field for this race is always highly competitive, and equally important are the recreational runners who arrive each year from all over the country and world to make this such a spectacular event,” said Samuelson, who serves as a spokesperson for the bank during the year to promote the race and the bank’s giving programs, which benefit Maine youth with scholarships, sponsorship programs and charitable gifts.

The race beneficiary for this year’s race is the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Portland and Auburn/Lewiston, a non-profit youth development organization that provides programs, activities and a nurturing environment to thousands of children in Maine.

Peoples, through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, will provide a cash donation of $30,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Additionally, the organization will benefit from fundraising opportunities and publicity valued at more than $40,000.

With four locations, the Boys & Girls Clubs serves more than 3,000 youths from 36 different Maine communities. Combining a safe and supportive environment, trained professional staff and a nationally-recognized “curriculum”, the Clubs focus on developing skills in teamwork, personal health and safety, conflict resolution, resisting peer pressure, and citizenship and community service.

The Boys & Girls Clubs mission is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” For more information, visit the organization’s web site at www.bgcmaine.org.

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