Parking and Logistics Outlined for Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race August 1 in Cape Elizabeth

Runner's Clinic with Elite Athletes Set for Saturday

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine – With race day fast approaching, organizers have outlined parking, road closings and other new developments for the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K this Sunday at 8 a.m.

Road Closings: On race day, the following roads will be closed:
· Route 77, from Sprague Hall to Kettle Cove Road will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
· Route 77, from Kettle Cove Road to Old Ocean House Road, closed 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
· Crescent Beach State park will be closed from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
· Route 77, at Hillway, closed 7:30 to 10 a.m.
· Old Ocean House Road (all), closed 7:30 to 10 a.m.
· Shore Road (all) from Key Bank to Fort Williams, closed 7:30 to 11 a.m.
· Shore Road at the Post Office, closed 7:30 to 11 a.m.
· All of Fowler Road (except shuttle buses) will be closed from 7:15 to 10 a.m.

Runner’s Clinic: New this year will be a runner’s clinic featuring Joan Benoit Samuelson and other elite athletes from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Cape Elizabeth Middle School during runner registration.

Runner Info: Registration and chip packet pickup for confirmed runners will take place on Friday, July 30, 4 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, July 31, 2 to 8 p.m. at the Cape Elizabeth Middle School. At registration, runners will receive bib numbers and ChampionChip to time and score the race. The event features an expo of products and services provided and presented by a variety of vendors. Merchandise also will be for sale on the lower field at Fort Williams on race day. Cash and checks will be accepted.

Runners are required to be at the start line by 7:30 a.m. The race begins on Route 77, near Crescent Beach State Park, and heads into Cape Elizabeth. Runners eventually turn right onto Old Ocean House Road, and later return to Route 77 before turning right onto Shore Road, where the course winds more, passing scenic ocean vistas.

Runners then enter Fort Williams Park at the Old Gate and reach the finish line with a panoramic view of Casco Bay and the stunning Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in America.

Runner parking near the start line will be provided at the Sprague Fields located at Fowler and Ram Island Farm roads. Parking for runners also is available at Cape Elizabeth’s high school and middle school on a first-come basis. Runners will be shuttled from the parking lots there to the start between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. Please look for signs providing directions. Carpooling and shuttling is recommended.

There is no parking for runners at the finish line at Fort Williams, which will be restricted parking for media, sponsors, staff and spectators, who are advised to carpool and to arrive prior to 7:30 a.m. Shuttle buses, which will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be provided to take runners back to the start area and to the school parking lots.

Other info: Race organizers also encourage runners to arrive by 6:30 a.m. to avoid heavy traffic. Roadside parking is not allowed. Also, race organizers are encouraging runners to be dropped off at Gull Crest Fields on Spurwink Avenue, just a short distance from Route 77 and the start line. The parking lots at the Spurwink Church, located at the intersection of Route 77 and Spurwink, will be closed on race day for weddings later that afternoon. Signage will direct people to the appropriate drop off zone.

The Peoples Beach to Beacon attracts more than 800 volunteers and brings out an extraordinary effort on the part of the town of Cape Elizabeth. Peoples Heritage Bank, the state’s largest bank, is the lead sponsor and coordinates the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, a running legend who won the first Olympic women’s marathon. She serves as a spokesperson for the bank’s “Peoples Promise” program for youth in Maine.

In addition to Peoples, other major corporate partners this year include Nike, UnumProvident Corp., Poland Spring, Hannaford and WCSH TV-6.

The youth organization chosen by the bank to be the race beneficiary is Riding To The Top, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding services to children and adults with physical, emotional and/or learning disabilities. Peoples will provide a cash donation of $30,000 from race proceeds, and the organization will further benefit from fundraising opportunities and publicity.

For additional information, including volunteer opportunities, visit the race web site at www.beach2beacon.org or call the toll-free hotline at (888) 480-6940.

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