CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — For the past 22 years, the painting of the start line on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth has signaled the beginning of race week as thousands of runners and spectators gear up for the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race. Given the cancellation of the 2020 race due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this longstanding tradition won’t be happening this year.
Instead, race organizers have announced what they hope will be a fun and unique way for the race community to come together, virtually, to celebrate this beloved event.
Through its first-ever “Start at Home” social media campaign, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K invites individuals and families to create their own “start line” or other TD Beach to Beacon-related artwork using chalk, paints or whatever medium they choose, then take a photo and post it to the TD Beach to Beacon social media channels—Facebook, Instagram and Twitter --- by August 1, the date the race would have been held this year.
The TD Beach to Beacon 10K team will narrow the selections down to the three most creative entries and then let the community vote on the overall favorite. The photo with the most votes will be used as the cover images on the TD Beach to Beacon’s social channels for a week during August and posted on the race website.
Race organizers say they're planning additional events including the launch of a video celebrating the race on August 1 (what would have been race day) along with other activities on social media during what would have been race week, beginning July 26 and throughout the month of August to keep runners, volunteers and the community engaged and connected.
Here are some more details from organizers of the "Start at Home" campaign:
Pictures should only be posted by those who are over 18, but families are welcome to create their start lines together. Individuals will not be compensated for their pictures, and no prizes are being awarded as part of this campaign. By posting their pictures, individuals are agreeing that the TD Beach to Beacon 10K can use the picture(s), including any images of people that they contain, on its social media pages, and the community favorite as the cover images for its social media channels for a week in August. This campaign is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. And, of course, all posts should comply with the rules of the social media site on which they are posted.
The anticipated date of the 2021 TD Beach to Beacon 10K is August 7, 2021.