PRESS KIT: World-Class Athlete Bios - 2012 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race

Updated August 2

Elite Men

(Course Record: Gilbert Okari, Kenya, 27:28 - 2003)

Lucas Rotich
Bib#: 2
Age: 22
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:56
Of note: Finished second at 2011 TD Beach to Beacon 10K (27:56), won 2011 Falmouth Road Race a week later. Has clocked 26:43 at 10,000m on the track.

Atsedu Tsegay
Bib#: 4
Age: 20
Country: Ethiopia
Best 10K: 27:46
Of note: His 58:47 in a Half Marathon in Prague this spring is the fastest in the world for 2012. An alternative on the Ethiopian Olympic team, the TD Beach to Beacon is his first race on American soil.

Stanley Biwott
Bib#: 5
Age: 26
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: --
Of note: Set course records earlier this year at both the Paris Marathon (2:05:11) and Paris Half Marathon (59:04).


Ed Muge
Bib#: 6
Age: 29
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:52
Of note: Two-time TD Beach to Beacon 10K champ, winning titles in 2009 and 2008. Trying to regain championship form in fifth consecutive race after fifth-place performance in 2010 and third in 2011.






Gebretsadik Abraha
Bib#: 8
Age: 20
Country: Ethiopia
Best 10K: 28:03t (track)
Of note: Won silver at 10,000m at 2010 World Junior Championships.


Allan Kiprono
Bib#: 9
Age: 22
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:42
Of note: One of hottest runners on American road race circuit with three major wins - Bellin Run, Lilac Bloomsday Run and Boulder Bolder 10K – so far in 2012, plus a runner up finish at Quad-City Bix 7 Road Race on July 28. Finished fifth at 2011 TD Beach to Beacon and second in 2010.





Lelisa Desisa
Bib#: 10
Age: 22
Country: Ethiopia
Best 10K: 27:57
Of note: A London Olympics alternate, he ran 27:12 on the track earlier this summer. Won gold at 2009 African Junior Athletics Championships at 10,000m and finished first in the Half Marathon at the 2011 All-Africa Games. Took fourth at Quad-City Bix 7 Road Race over the weekend.


Silas Kipruto
Bib#: 11
Age: 27
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:28
Of note: Arriving in Maine fresh off of second straight victory at Quad-City Times Bix 7 Road Race on July 28. Took fourth in Half Marathon at 2010 World Championships.





Vincent Yator
Bib#: 12
Age: 22
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:24
Of note: Placed sixth at 5000m (13:36) at 2008 IAAF World Junior Championships.

Lewis Nyariki
Bib#: 14
Age: 23
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:22t
Of note: Placed fourth at Crazy 8s Road Race (22:40 8K) in mid-July, won bronze at 2011 African Championships.

Kiplomo Kumatai
Bib#: 16
Age: 30
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:59
Of note: Placed third at 2008 TD Beach to Beacon with 10K PR, although he has clocked a 27:17 at 10,000m. Won bronze at 2011 World Military Games.

Stephen Kipkosgei-Kibet
Bib#: 17
Age: 25
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 27:52
Of note: Ran a 2:08 marathon at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon, and took fourth at 2010 TD Beach to Beacon 10K.

Sean Quigley
Bib#: 19
Age: 27
Country: USA
Best 10K: 28:03t
Of note: A top American distance runner, he is a former NCAA champion at LaSalle.

Lani Rutto
Bib#: 20
Age: 23
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 28:35
Of note: Returning to Cape Elizabeth after sixth-place finish in 2011.

Sammy Chelanga
Bib#: 22
Age: 27
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 28:31
Of note: He is close to receiving U.S. citizenship. Set NCAA record 27:08.49 at 10,000m during illustrious career at Liberty University, including 2009 NCAA Cross Country championship. Took fourth at 2011 B.A.A. 10K in Boston.

Elite Women
(Course Record: Lineth Chepkurai, Kenya, 30:59 - 2010)

Emily Chebet
Bib#: 101
Age: 26
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 31:13
Of note: Earned bronze at 2012 African Cross Country Championships. Her 31:18 in late 2011 was one of fastest 10K's of year - she set her PR 31:13 in 2010. Won the 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championship. She is the wife of two-time TD Beach to Beacon 10K champ Ed Muge.

Lineth Chepkurui
Bib#: 102
Age: 24
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 30:45
Of note: Returning to Cape Elizabeth for first time since shattering course record (30:59) in 2010 - the fastest 10K ever in Maine. She has three top 10 finishes in the World Cross Country Championships and also won the Lilac Bloomsday Run and the Bay to Breakers three times each.




Valentina Galimova
Bib#: 104
Age: 25
Country: Russia
Best 10K: 32:07t
Of note: A Russian 10,000m champion who finished a disappointing fifth at the 2012 Olympic qualifier.

Kseniya Agafonova
Bib#: 105
Age: 29
Country: Russia
Best 10K: 31:08t
Of note: A Russian indoor champ, she finished fifth at 5000m at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final.

Wude Ayalew
Bib#: 106
Age: 25
Country: Ethiopia
Best 10K: 31:07
Of note: Ran second fastest time (31:07) on the TD Beach to Beacon course while finishing second to Chepkurai’s record setting performance in 2010. She returned a week later to beat Chepkurai at the Falmouth Road Race. Missed 2011 TD Beach to Beacon to injury, but placed second at the 2011 All-Africa Games. In 2007, came to TD Beach to Beacon as a race favorite, but got tangled with a male runner early in the race and finished a disappointing fourth. She has clocked 30:11 at 10,000m.



Margaret Wangari Muriuki
Bib#: 108
Age: 26
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 31:08
Of note: Won the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Road Race on July 28 in Iowa on heels of third at African Championships 1500m (4:06.50). Running barefoot, she finished sixth at 2010 World Cross Country Championships, and also took second at 2012 African Cross Country Championships.

Malika Mejdoub
Bib#: 109
Age: 30
Country: Morocco
Best 10K: 32:42
Of note: 11th at 2012 NYC Half Marathon (1:11:33).

Jelliah Tinega
Bib#: 110
Age: 26
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 32:17
Of note: Runner up at 2011 TD Beach to Beacon, so far in 2012 has won the Bellin Run and the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run, finished third at Bay to Breakers in San Francisco and the B.A.A. 10K in Boston, and placed fourth at the Quad-City Bix 7.

Rebecca Donaghue
Bib#: 114
Age: 36
Country: USA
Best 10K: 32:29
Of note: Placed fifth at the 2009 TD Beach to Beacon, which she followed up with an impressive second at Falmouth a week later. This year, she finished in the top 20 in the U.S. Olympic trials for both the marathon and 10,000m.

Rita Jeptoo
Bib#: 116
Age: 31
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 31:12
Of note: 2006 B.A.A. Boston Marathon champ (2:23:38) has three subsequent top-six finishes in legendary race.

Pauline Njeri-Kahenya
Bib#: 117
Age: 27
Country: Kenya
Best 10K: 31:25
Of note: Ran her personal best 31:25 in Paris in April.

Esther Erb
Bib#: 118
Age: 26
Country: USA
Best 10K: 34:21
Of note: Finished ninth at 2012 B.A.A. 10K, won the 2012 Broad Street 10-Mile Run in Philadelphia.

Lindsey Scherf
Bib#: 119
Age: 25
Country: USA
Best 10K: 32:51
Of note: Fourth place at 2012 USA 15K Championships and fourth American at New York City Half. Harvard grad was a member of the US World Cross Country Team in 2009 and in 2005 set an American Junior 10,000m record with a 32:51.




Renee Baillie
Bib#: 121
Age: 30
Country: USA
Best 10K: 32:44
Of note: Took fifth at 2009 USA 10K Championships in Boston.

Julia Lucas
Bib#: 122
Age: 28
Country: USA
Best 10K: 33:39
Of note: Placed third at Quad-City Bix 7 Mile last weekend. Missed the Olympics in a heartbreaking, photo-finish fourth-place finish at 5000m in the U.S. Olympic Trials in late June. Needing only to finish in the top three since she had already achieved the qualifying time with a 15:08 in April, she decided to push the pace but couldn't hold on and was edged at the finish by Kim Conley, who achieved the necessary qualifier by .04. Placed fourth in 2011 USA 10K Championships.

Jessica Minty
Bib#: 123
Age: 28
Country: USA
Best 10K: 35:14
Of note: Colby College graduate


Sheri Piers
Bib#: 130
Age: 41
Country: USA (Falmouth, Maine)
Best 10K: 34:17
Of note: She elevated herself into elite status with a masters title and a top 13 overall finish (34:38) at the famed Peachtree 10K in July. A two-time TD Beach to Beacon Maine winner and the defending champion, she set the course record for Maine women in 2009 (34:17), which also placed her 10th overall.