Sunday’s Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K to Showcase Top Runners in the World, New England and Maine

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine -- Sunday’s seventh annual Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race has again attracted the top road racers in Maine, New England and around the globe to the picturesque course in Cape Elizabeth.

With 5,000 runners – representing 14 countries and 39 U.S. states – and as many as 10,000 spectators, the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K continues to solidify its place among the most prestigious road races on the circuit, attracting top world-class athletes and filling up faster and faster each year.

This year’s race is unique in that it is taking place on a Sunday, breaking from the traditional first Saturday in August. The calendar and scheduling conflicts prompted the change. Also, prize money has been increased. Elite athletes, for example, are now battling for a $10,000 top prize.

The race beneficiary, Riding To The Top (RTT), provides therapeutic horseback riding services to children with physical, emotional and/or learning disabilities. Peoples, through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, is providing a cash donation of $30,000 to RTT. A demonstration with horses will take place during the morning of the race at Fort Williams.

The RTT connection, together with respect for race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson, who 20 years ago this month won the first Olympic marathon for women, also has resulted in some of the best and most inspirational disabled athletes participating. They include a handful of Paralympians as well as Team Hoyt, a father who pushes his quadriplegic son in a specially designed jogger.

“Year in and year out, the Peoples Beach to Beacon draws amazing participants with inspirational stories,” said Mike McNamara, president and CEO of Peoples Heritage Bank, the race’s lead sponsor. “At its core, the success this event has enjoyed speaks to the hard work of all involved; the volunteers, the runners, the town, the race organizers. The end result will be another great race day on Sunday.”

Ndereba Seeks Sixth Women’s Title; Stellar Men’s Field Wide Open

With both defending champs returning and a host of other top names in the world in the field, the elite races for both the men and women are shaping up to be as competitive as ever.

On the women’s side, Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba, a crowd favorite and three-time Boston Marathon champ, will be seeking her sixth Peoples Beach to Beacon title in what is likely to be her final tune up before the Olympics, where she will be a marathon favorite.

But she may not be the favorite this weekend. That target should be placed squarely on the shoulders of fellow Kenyan Susan Chepkemei, who set a course record in winning the prestigious Bix 7 miler in Iowa over the weekend and now has won the two other major road races in July (Utica 15K and Peachtree 10K). Currently ranked 5th in the world, she might be untouchable. But don’t count out Luminita Talpos of Romania, who knows the course after finishing just behind Ndereba last year. Also, look for Japan’s Masako Chiba and Kayoko Obato, two of their country’s top marathoners, to remain in the hunt.

Defending champ Gilbert Okari of Kenya returns after setting a course record 27:28, the fastest 10K time in the world in 2003. But a strong field means Okari will be hard pressed to repeat – a task never completed on the men’s side. A nagging injury has forced the last-minute withdrawal of Kenyan John Korir, last year’s runner up (27:51) who has won the past three major road races. But Korir hasn’t faced the stellar competition that would have awaited him in Cape Elizabeth, race experts say.

The field includes Kenyan Robert K Cheruiyot, the 2003 Boston Marathon champ who is currently ranked 11th in the world and has been training at altitude in Switzerland with fellow Kenyan Wilson Kiprotich, who is ranking 9th in the world and has recorded the second fastest 10K (27:48) so far in 2004. And don’t count out Thomas Kiplitan, another Kenyan who is ranked 5th in the world right now and has run 27:31 on the track. He, Okari and Benjamin Maiyo, a Kenyan who has recorded 27:08 on the track, have been training together in Boulder in preparation for the Peoples Beach to Beacon.

Then there’s perhaps the biggest name: Khalid Khannouchi, the 1999 Peoples Beach to Beacon champ and former world record holder in the marathon who last competed here in 2000. The Moroccan-born American is one of only three runners to ever run a sub 28:00 at the Peoples Beach to Beacon. A wildcard, he is returning from injury and tuning up for the Chicago Marathon this fall.

“Catherine really has her work cut out for her, and you have four guys at least who are capable of running sub 28s on Sunday, which would be amazing,” said Larry Barthlow, the race’s elite athlete coordinator. “This is going to be a really fun, fast race.”

(Unofficial) Maine Road Race Champions to be Crowned

The Peoples Beach to Beacon is considered the jewel for Maine’s top road racers and the winner each year wears the unofficial crown as the Maine Road Racing Champion.

A new champ will be crowned in the men’s race as teenager Eric Giddings of South Portland, the surprise winner in 2003, is bypassing the race this year. The favorite might be Michael Payson, 41, of Falmouth, who recently won the LL Bean 10K and the Clam Festival 5 miler. Other contenders include Andy Spaulding, 33, of Freeport, a two-time champion who finished second last year, Ethan Hemphill, 32, of Portland, who is running well and finished fourth in 2003, and Bob Winn, 45, of Ogunquit, the course record holder (30:52) who won the first two Peoples Beach to Beacon Maine races and finished third last year. Two young runners – Evan GravesJudson Cake, 26, both of Bar Harbor, also are expected to compete for the title.

On the women’s side, Maggie Hanson, 23, of Bowdoinham is back to defend her title, but will find the going tough against Susannah Beck, 36, of Yarmouth, an elite runner who recently re-located to Maine. Her time while finishing 10th last year (34:44) would have won the Maine women’s race, and she is running better this year, including a second at 2004 U.S. Women’s Half Marathon Championship. But there are questions about her health, which could open the door to other contenders, including Jenna Richardson, 24, of China; Suzanne Hussey, 23, of Alfred and two-time champ Christine Snow-Reaser, 38, of Dayton.

Seventh Year for Popular Race


This is the seventh year for the popular race, which was founded by Maine’s largest bank, Peoples Heritage Bank, and Maine’s most famous athlete, Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic women’s marathon. The race director is Dave McGillivray, who has organized every Peoples Beach to Beacon. He also serves as the race director of the BAA Boston Marathon and recently led TREK USA in which he and a group of runners ran across the United States to raise money for charity.

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

The wheelchair entrants begin at 8 a.m. at the start line on Route 77 near Crescent Beach State Park and the race starts at 8:05. The ocean-hugging course ends 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park at Portland Head, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

Prize money of more than $50,000 is awarded to the runners, including $10,000 for the winner, $5,000 for the second place winner and cash prizes for the top 10 finishers. Other cash awards go to the top men and women=s masters finishers, men and women wheelchair entrants and men and women from Maine. Also, age category winners will receive L.L. Bean gift certificates. For more information about the race, go to www.beach2beacon.org.

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