Peoples Beach to Beacon Returning Champions to Defend at Popular New England Race

Kenya's Catherine Ndereba will be trying for her fifth consecutive win in Cape Elizabeth on Aug. 3

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Both of the reigning Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race champions - Kenyans Catherine Ndereba and Evans Rutto - will return to defend their titles at New England's premier road race in Cape Elizabeth on Aug. 3.

Another strong elite field is beginning to take shape for the special fifth-anniversary edition of the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K, a winding 6.2 mile course along the Maine coast that year in and year out attracts some of the world's finest road racers.

"It's gratifying to again see such an impressive list of elite athletes competing in the Peoples Beach to Beacon," said Mike McNamara, president and CEO of Peoples Heritage Bank, the sponsor and coordinator of the race. "It's always a real treat for the thousands of spectators who come to the race to cheer on these incredible athletes."

One of the true crowd favorites is Ndereba, the only women's winner in the history of the Peoples Beach to Beacon. The two-time Boston Marathon champ and one of the top road racers in the world, she will be seeking her fifth title against some of the stiffest competition yet for the $7,500 prize awarded to the champion in each division.

The women's field is again stacked with top-flight runners, including Elana Meyer of South Africa, a 1992 Olympic silver medallist at 10,000 meters, and Eyrusalem Kuma of Ethiopia, who finished third and fourth, respectively, behind Ndereba in 2001. Also, Lorna Kiplagat of Kenya, who ran neck-and-neck with Ndereba before finishing second, is considering a return, race organizers said. Ndereba needed a course-record 31:34 to best Kiplagat, who finished two seconds behind.

Colleen DeReuck of Boulder, Colo., a three-time Olympian from South Africa who gained her American citizenship shortly before running the 2001 Peoples Beach to Beacon, is back. She placed third for the U.S. at the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin this spring, an indication she has recovered from injuries and running better than ever. Jane Ngotho of Kenya, another of the world's top road racers, is a worthy challenger. And Ethiopian Ejegayehu Dibaba, who set a personal best 31:45 in a recent 10K and is training at altitude with Kuma in Ethiopia, appears primed to take on the leaders as well.

On the men's side, the race looks to be wide open with a number of runners capable of putting up an impressive time. Rutto, a late replacement who pulled away near the finish last year to win the race in 28:30, will try to become the first two-time winner. He outkicked fellow Kenyans James Koskei and Joseph Kimani, the 2000 champ. Koskei, with two impressive road race wins already this year, is returning. Another Kenyan to watch is Paul Koech, who has a 26:38 track time. If he can transfer that speed to the pavement, he could run away from the field.

Also, a handful of rising American runners are entered, including Abdi Abdirahan, who finished 2nd in the 10,000m at the U.S. Track and Field Championships (27:42), and Peter Julian, a past top 10 finisher in the Peoples Beach to Beacon. Also, race officials are still hopeful of a commitment from Yarmouth's own Matt Lane, a top U.S. distance runner who would give the elite field some local flavor. Lane, currently in Europe, recently placed third at the USA Nationals 10K.

"In the running world among the top elite athletes, the Peoples Beach to Beacon is considered a must event," said the race's elite athlete coordinator, Larry Barthlow of Global Athletics and Marketing in Boston. "Runners who have been here once want to come back. And others who have heard about the excitement, the beautiful course, the fine hospitality they receive and the enthusiasm of the spectators, try to find a way to fit it in. That's why the field is always so deep. It's looking like another strong group this year. And we're not done yet."

Now in its fifth year, the race draws some 10,000 spectators and also attracts top runners locally and across New England. It was founded by Peoples Heritage Bank spokesperson Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Mainer and running legend whom in 1984 won the gold medal in the first Olympic marathon for women.

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 children's 1K race with nearly 500 kids participating. The scenic course will be the same as last year, beginning at Crescent Beach along Route 77 and ending at the Portland Head lighthouse at Fort Williams Park.

In addition to Peoples, other major corporate partners this year include US Airways, the official airline of the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K, UnumProvident Corp., Nike, Poland Spring, MBNA and WCSH TV-6, which will have live cut-ins of the start and finish and air a half hour show on the night of the race.

This year's youth organization chosen by the bank as the 2002 race beneficiary is Opportunity Farm, a long-term, family-style facility in rural New Gloucester, Maine, for at-risk boys and girls. Opportunity Farm will receive a $30,000 cash donation from Peoples and will further benefit from fundraising and publicity valued at more than $40,000.

Those wishing to volunteer at the race are asked to fill out a volunteer form online at www.beach2beacon.org, call Maya Cohen, this year's volunteer coordinator, at (207) 838-8816; or stop by any Peoples Heritage Bank branch statewide for a volunteer application form. Volunteers are still needed.

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