BEACH TO BEACON RACE DAY | What You Need To Know
North Yarmouth native and 2016 champ Ben True returns to avenge last year's finish line defeat while Providence-based US 10K record holder Olympian Molly Huddle makes her Beach to Beacon debut.
LIVE STREAM WILL BROADCAST HERE SCHEDULED START 8AM
CAPE ELIZABETH (NEWS CENTER Maine) — This year's TD Beach to Beacon 10K, Maine's most notable road race, is set for Saturday, Aug. 4.
The 21st running in 2018 features a host of elite runners including 2008 US Olympic flag bearer Lopez Lomong and Providence-based Molly Huddle, former American record holder in the 5,000 meters, as well as Maine natives Ben True and Emily Durgin.
Last year's Maine resident champion Jesse Orach of Gorham will return to defend his title for a third straight year. His finish last year was seen all around the world. After suffering heat stroke and falling down, he was helped up by fellow Mainer Rob Gomez, also returning in 2018, and carried over the finish line to take first.
Durgin, a Standish native and Cheverus grad who won the Maine women's race in 2017, now trains professionally with New Balance in Boston.
Neither of the two reigning overall champions from last year's race will compete.
Mary Keitany of Kenya set a new course record of 30:41 in 2017 after having won in 2016. A new champion will be crowned in the women's race this year for the first time since 2015.
Stephen Kosgei-Kibet beat True by less than a second in 2017. With Kibet gone, it leaves the door open for True to capture his second title. The Cumberland native earned his first laurel wreath in 2016 days after a disappointing fifth-place finish in the 5,000 meters at the US Olympic trials. Kibet and True have combined to win the last three men's division races.
| HELPFUL INFO/LINKS |
All you need to know
► Bib Number Search (database may not yet be ready)
| THE STORIES |
We're all in it together
► Those who push through the finish line (Aug 3)
| THE COURSE |
6.2 miles of greatness
Runners from all aspects of life, jubilant yet anxious, begin their 6.2-mile coastal journey northwest of Crescent Beach State Park's trails and sand beach.
For the first mile, runners traverse a flat section of Bowery Beach Road (Route 77) through the northern edge of the park to the Inn by the Sea. Continuing on the same road for Mile 2, runners get a taste for the crowds of motivating fans ahead as they pass by several local businesses and the gateway to Two Lights State Park.
Mile 3 is all Old Ocean Road — a pleasant, narrow loop off Ocean House Road consisting of homes, farmland and cool forest shade. Homeowners along the way typically play music and even get the garden hoses out for hot, humid mornings.
Next, it's back onto Ocean House Road for a stroll through the center of town. Mile 4 takes runners underneath a giant American hung over the road by two ladders from the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department. Hundreds of roaring fans outside the town offices and library direct competitors onto Shore Road — their final turn before an ascent to the beacon.
Mile 5, similar to Mile 3, takes runners past homes with driveways of support. Runners begin to feel a sense of closure arriving as they approach Pond Cove, envisioning the finish line and calibrating their final bursts of energy. But for those who rush reality, a painful consequence awaits in Mile 6…
HILLS! Don't forget the hills. As runners make their way past Robinson Park, Chimney Rock and Delano Park, incline steepens, imposing an unavoidable challenge for those who neglect to leave some in the tank.
A final hill awaits runners at Fort William Park's southwest entrance, the Old Gate, and then, for the last 200 meters, runners enter a chute taking them around the old bunkers and soccer fields, flanked on both sides by an exuberant crowd, passionately inspiring a strong finish. The finish: an iconic view of Portland Head Light.
| THE 2018 ELITES |
Multiple B2B champs, former Olympians
| BIB | NATION | NAME | 10K PB | BIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEN | Stanley Biwott | 27:59 | Winner of 2012 Beach to Beacon, 2012 Paris Marathon and 2015 NYC Marathon | |
| USA | Ben True | 27:41 | Winner of 2016 Beach to Beacon (first American), North Yarmouth native, Greely grad, Dartmouth alum, silver medalist at 2013 World XC Champs | |
| UGA | Maxwell Rotich | 27:22 | 19 years old | |
| NZL | Jake Robertson | 27:30 | New Zealand national record holder in the 10K | |
| KEN | Stephen Sambu | 26:54 | 9-time All-American at Arizona, 2-time Falmouth Road Race winner | |
| ETH | Tariku Bekele | 27:03 | 2012 Olympic 10K bronze medalist, 2008 World Indoor 3K gold medalist, 2006 World 5K junior champ | |
| ETH | Amdework Walelgen | 27:37 | 19 years old | |
| USA | Chris Derrick | 27:03 | Three-time USATF XC champ, 14-time All-American at Stanford, 2013 World XC silver medalist | |
| GBR | Callum Hawkins | 28:49 | 2016 Olympian, Scottish half-marathon record holder | |
| GBR | Ross Millington | 27:55 | 2016 Olympian | |
| USA | Abdi Abdirahman | 27:16 | Four-time US Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) | |
| USA | Shadrack Biwott | 28:28 | 4th ('17) and 3rd ('18) at last two Boston Marathons | |
| USA | Lopez Lomong | 28:21 | Two-time Olympian (2008, 2012), four-time USATF champ and one of the "Lost Boys of Sedan" | |
| USA | Andrew Bumbalough | 27:56 | 2nd ('14) and 4th ('11) in 5K at USATF Outdoor Champs, six-time All-American at Georgetown | |
| USA | Noah Droddy | 28:07 | "Crashed" the 10K at 2016 US Olympic trials, 7th at 2017 NYC Half | |
| USA | Matt Llano | 28:43 | 2nd at '15 USA Marathon Champs, 5th at '14 USA Half Champs, HS teammate of Matt Centrowitz | |
| USA | Parker Stinson | 27:54 | Nine-time All-American at Oregon, three-time US 10K junior champ, '11 Pan Am 10K junior champ | |
| USA | Trevor Dunbar | 28:30 | 6th at '17 USATF XC Champs, Alaska's fastest miler, All-American at both Portland and Oregon | |
| USA | Colin Bennie | 28:37 | Princeton, Mass. native, All-American at Syracuse | |
| USA | Mason Ferlic | 29:57 | '16 NCAA outdoor 3K steeplechase champ, 5th in steeple at '16 US Olympic trials, A-A at Michigan | |
| USA | Luke Puskedra | 27:56 | 4th in marathon at '16 US Olympic trials, 3rd at '10 NCAA XC Champs, 11-time All-American at Oregon | |
| USA | Dillon Maggard | 28:38 | Nine-time All-American at Utah State | |
| USA | Martin Hehir | 28:08 | 7th in 10K at '16 US Olympic trials, 5th at '18 USATF XC Champs |
| BIB | NATION | NAME | 10K PB | BIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KEN | Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui | 30:45 | 4th at '13 World XC Junior Champs, two-time Falmouth Road Race champ ('16/'17) | |
| USA | Molly Huddle | 30:13 | Current US record-holder in the 10K, former US record-holder in the 5K, 3rd '16 NYC Marathon, seven-time national champ, trains in Providence, R.I. | |
| KEN | Sandrafelis Chebet Tuei | 30:57 | Three-time top three finisher at African U20 Champs (2nd 5K '17, 2nd 3K '17, 3rd 3K '15) | |
| ETH | Buze Diriba | 31:33 | 5th in 5K at '13 World Champs, '13 World 5K junior champ, 10th at '11 World XC Junior Champs | |
| ETH | Ababel Yeshaneh | 33:04 | 9th in 10K at '13 World Champs, 6th at '14 African XC Champs | |
| KEN | Pauline Kamulu Kaveke | 30:41 | 3rd at '18 World Half Marathon Champs, 11th at '13 World XC Junior Champs | |
| USA | Gwen Jorgensen | 31:55 | '16 Olympic champ in the triathlon (USA's first-ever gold), '12 Olympian, 14th at '16 NYC Marathon | |
| USA | Diane Nukuri | 31:28 | Two-time Olympian; Burundian record-holder in 1500m, 5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon; three-time All-American at Iowa where she holds 10 school records | |
| AUS | Milly Clark | 33:24 | '16 Olympian, '14 Australian nat'l champ in the 10K, '12 nat'l champ in the 3K steeplechase | |
| AUS | Laura Rose Donegan | 34:06 | UNH T&F/XC alum, 6th in 3K steeplechase at '16 NCAA Outdoor Champs | |
| USA | Emily Sisson | 31:25 | NCAA indoor 5K record-holder, 3x NCAA champ, 3rd in 10K at '17 USATF Champs, trains in Providence, R.I. | |
| USA | Jessica Tonn | 31:54 | Seven-time All-American at Stanford | |
| USA | Rochelle Kanuho | 32:08 | 7th in 10K at '16 US Olympic trials, 15th in 5K at '16 US Olympic trials, walk-on at NAU | |
| USA | Liz Costello | 31:43 | 4th at 10K in '15 Pan American Games, 6th in 10K at '16 US Olympic trials, four-time All-American at Princeton/Tennessee, 6th at '15 B2B | |
| USA | Alia Gray | 31:59 | 3rd at '17 and '16 Chicago Marathons, 6th at '14 NYC Marathon, 10th at '16 US Olympic marathon trials | |
| USA | Emily Durgin | 32:59 | Standish native, Cheverus grad, UConn T&F/XC alum, 5th at USATF XC Champs | |
| USA | Katie Matthews | 32:23 | 3rd in 10K at NACAC U23 Champs, All-American at BU | |
| JPN | Ayano Kubo | 33:53 | ||
| JPN | Sayo Nomura | 32:31 | 3rd at '11 Shenzen Half Marathon and '09 Beograd Half Marathon | |
| USA | Rachel Hyland | 34:09 | 4th at '18 Boston Marathon, 5th at '15 Chicago Marathon, Spanish teacher at Phillips Academy | |
| USA | Kaitlin Gregg Goodman | 31:55 | 11th in 10K and 12th in 5K at '16 US Olympic trials, public health professional, trains in Providence, R.I. | |
| NZL | Annika Pfitzinger | 34:44 | Raised in Exeter, N.H. | |
| USA | Sydney Devore | 35:34 | Florida native and UF XC alum, '18 Pittsburgh Marathon winner |
| PAST CHAMPIONS |
From near and afar, fast and determined
The Beach to Beacon 10K debuted in 1998 with just over 2,400 runners crossing the finish line. In 2016, more than 6,300 runners from 15 countries, 43 states and a few hundred Maine cities and towns finished — less than a 1,000 short of tripling the inaugural total.
| PAST MEN'S CHAMPIONS | PAST WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | KEN | Stephen Kosgei Kibet | 27:55 | 2017 | KEN | Mary Keitany** | 30:41 |
| 2016 | USA | Ben True | 28:16 | 2016 | KEN | Mary Keitany | 30:45 |
| 2015 | KEN | Stephen Kosgei Kibet | 28:28 | 2015 | ETH | Wude Ayalew | 31:56 |
| 2014 | KEN | Bedan Karoki | 27:37 | 2014 | GBR | Gemma Steel | 31:27 |
| 2013 | KEN | Micah Kogo | 28:03 | 2013 | KEN | Joyce Chepkurui | 31:23 |
| 2012 | KEN | Stanley Biwott | 27:59 | 2012 | KEN | Margaret Wangari-Muriuki | 31:52 |
| 2011 | KEN | Micah Kogo | 27:48 | 2011 | ETH | Aheza Kiros | 32:09 |
| 2010 | ETH | Gebre Gebremariam | 27:40 | 2010 | KEN | Lineth Chepkurui | 30:59 |
| 2009 | KEN | Ed Muge | 28:05 | 2009 | KEN | Irene Limika | 32:06 |
| 2008 | KEN | Ed Muge | 27:52 | 2008 | KEN | Edith Masai | 31:57 |
| ** Yellow/bold denotes course record | |||||||
| PAST MEN'S CHAMPIONS (CON'T) | PAST WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS (CON'T) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | KEN | Duncan Kibet | 27:52 | 2007 | KEN | Luminita Talpos | 32:20 |
| 2006 | KEN | Tom Nyariki | 27:48 | 2006 | RUS | Alventina Ivanova | 31:26 |
| 2005 | KEN | Gilbert Okari | 27:38 | 2005 | KEN | Lornah Kipligat | 31:34 |
| 2004 | KEN | Gilbert Okari | 27:35 | 2004 | KEN | Susan Chepkemei | 31:35 |
| 2003 | KEN | Gilbert Okari** | 27:28 | 2003 | KEN | Catherine Ndereba | 31:53 |
| 2002 | KEN | James Koskei | 28:11 | 2002 | MEX | Adriana Fernandez | 31:56 |
| 2001 | KEN | Evans Rutto | 28:30 | 2001 | KEN | Catherine Ndereba | 31:33 |
| 2000 | KEN | Joseph Kimani | 28:07 | 2000 | KEN | Catherine Ndereba | 32:19 |
| 1999 | MAR | Khalid Khannouchi | 27:48 | 1999 | KEN | Catherine Ndereba | 32:05 |
| 1998 | RSA | Johannes Mabilte | 28:18 | 1998 | KEN | Catherine Ndereba | 32:15 |
| ** Yellow/bold denotes course record | |||||||
| THE HISTORY |
More than two decades of memories
► PHOTOS: 2017 TD Beach to Beacon Photos
2017 TD Beach to Beacon
The course, once a training route for young Cape Elizabeth resident Joan "Joanie" Benoit, who later went on to win the first women's Olympic marathon in 1984, now serves as the venue for one of the world's most premier annual road races.
► PHOTOS: 20 Years of Beach to Beacon (1999-2010)
PHOTOS: 20 Years of Beach to Beacon (1999-2010)
► PHOTOS: 20 Years of Beach to Beacon (2011-2016)
