CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — A rainy start Saturday didn't stop thousands of athletes from bringing their all to the finish line for the 26th annual TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race.
Athletes of all different calibers from across Maine, New England, other parts of the country, and even internationally head to Cape Elizabeth each year to take part in the community-driven event.
"I love the scenery, I recommend for everybody to come and try it once in a lifetime," Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi said. "Nice weather, poor weather. I know it was a little delayed but at the same time, the crowd came to support us. It was great."
This year's events raised more than $140K to go toward Preble Street Teen Services.
Following a cluster of some of the first people to cross the finish line was Teanne Ewings. For her second time running Beach to Beacon, she placed first in the 15-19-year-old age-based bracket.
"It means a lot; it's an honor to be able to run against [first place finishers] and know how I compare to them," Ewings said.
Also returning for this year's race is Ruth White of Orono, who placed first in the Top 5 Maine Women's Division last year.
White said that while she had a bit of hesitation about today's race from a combination of the rain and pressure, she ultimately brought her A-game to whoosh her to third place in the Top 5 Maine Women's Division this year.
"There's obviously stress before every race. [This race] was a little different than most races, but I thought through all of the different scenarios," White said. "It was fun, it turned out to be really good conditions."
Ethiopian runner Tadese Worku and Kenyan runner Faith Chepkoech both placed first in the Top 10 Men's and Women's Overall Divisions.