Online Registration for 2011 TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Fills 4,000 Slots in Eight Minutes, Lottery Phase in Full Swing

Lottery registration ongoing for 1,750 remaining bibs

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (March 15, 2011) – The 4,000 slots for the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K made available through online registration filled in just eight minutes Tuesday morning, and those still looking for a way into the popular road race began registering for the lottery.

Runners now have until midnight on Tuesday, March 22 to register for one of the 1,750 remaining bibs available through the lottery, which will be drawn on March 23. Runners can sign up for the lottery at the race website, www.beach2beacon.org.

Race organizers said they’ve received positive feedback this year from some of the thousands of runners who were online when registration opened at 7 a.m., only to glide through the first- come/first-serve process.

“Overall, we’re quite pleased with how the registration process worked,” Race President David Weatherbie said. “We processed 3,000 registrations in the first four minutes alone. Several runners told us it was smooth sailing, so that was good to hear.”

The eight-minute mark for the general public shattered the previous record of 32 minutes last year. Cape Elizabeth residents, given a 24-hour window to fill 600 online slots on Monday, reached the cap within 51 minutes.
Those who got into the race received an e-mail confirmation from race organizers. Those who did not were re-directed to the bib lottery registration process. By 4 p.m. Tuesday, 1,312 runners had entered the lottery, hoping to secure one of the 1,750 bibs.

Provisions for couples and families are being made in the lottery process – details at www.beach2beacon.org/2011registration. The race will charge a $5 fee per person to enter the lottery. Runners who get into the race via the lottery will be notified by e-mail and their names will be posted on the race website on March 23.

Race beneficiaries, sponsors, elite athletes and runners who have taken part in all 13 past races can begin registering online on March 28.

Race organizers will accept approximately 7,200 registrations in all, 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 $70.4 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation’s areas of focus are 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