CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (August 5, 2023) – Addisu Yihune of Ethiopia (27:56) and Hellen Obiri of Kenya (31:37) are the elite of the elite in this year’s running of the TD Beach to Beacon. Cooler and comfortable conditions created favorable running conditions for Maine’s largest road race, which included 6,500+ runners and more than 25 elite athletes.
In the men’s race, Connor Mantz of Utah (27:58), who finished second jumped out to an early lead. He was eventually joined by third-place finishing Edris Muktar (28:06) of Ethiopia in a pack of six runners at the three-mile mark. Yihune pulled away at the five-mile mark and never looked back.
Yihune has been on a roll, winning the 5000 meters at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships last year. He also won the 2022 Cross de San Sebastián and Campaccio cross-country races. He was ranked fourth in the world in men’s cross country.
As for the women, the first half of the race was dominated by the eventual winner Hellen Obiri of Kenya (31:37) and Keira D’Amato of Virginia (31:58), who would eventually finish third. By mile four, Fotyen Tesfey of Ethopia (31:38) passed D’Amato to move into second place. The two would race neck and neck for the rest of the 6.2-mile course, with Obiri edging out Tesfey by a second.
Obiri is the winner of this year’s Boston Marathon and the New York City Half Marathon and is the only woman to have won titles in indoor track, outdoor track, and cross country. She took silver in the 5000 meters at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, and currently ranks world number two in road running.
As for the Maine finishers, 17-year-old Ruth White of Orono (34:56) brought home top honors. Alexis Wilbert of Cumberland Center (35:46) finished second, and Veronica Graziano of Falmouth (36:15) came in third. White is a senior at Orono High School where she is a member of the track and cross-country teams. She finished 18th in last year’s TD Beach to Beacon and 17th this year. She is the Maine State Gatorade Player of the Year in both track and cross-country and won the New England Championships in cross-country and the 3200 meters.
In the Maine men’s race Matt Rand of Portland (30:41) won by a fairly comfortable eleven second margin over Grady Satterfield of Bowdoinham (30:52) who came in second. Ryan Jara of Gorham (30:55) rounded out the top three.
The Wheelchair Division saw repeat winners from 2022 in both the men’s and women’s race. Herman Garic of Utica, NY (23:25) and Yen Hoang of Champaign, IL (28:35) dominated each race to bring home the gold. Christina Kouros of Lewiston, ME (41:37) was the top Mainer, finishing third.
Prescott Leach of Waltham, MA (32:03) took the title in the Men’s Masters division, beating out two Mainers, Rob Gomez of Biddeford (32:38) and Erik McCarthy of Orono (33:20)
In the Women’s Masters division, Edna Kiplaget of Longmont, CO (32:23) finished first. Michelle Lillenthal of Portland (37:34) was the top Maine finisher in third place.
In the Seniors Division, Rico Portalatin (35:14) crossed the finishing line first for the men. The women’s race was won by Karolyn Bowley of Middleton, RI (38:05). Sheri Piers of Falmouth (38:10) was the top Mainer, finishing second.
The professional athletes win more than $90,000 in prize money. The winners in the men’s and women’s open races each receive $10,000 and there are awards for the top 10 runners overall, courtesy of title sponsor TD Bank. Also included is a $23,000 purse for American men and women, sponsored by Dunkin Donuts, split evenly among the top five American men and women, with a $5,000 top prize.
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About the TD Beach to Beacon 10K
The TD Beach to Beacon 10K draws runners from New England and throughout the world to picturesque Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The race begins on Route 77 near the Crescent Beach State Park entrance, winds along tree-lined streets and past breathtaking ocean vistas and ends in Fort Williams Park at historic Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.
In 2022, the 24th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K included 5,346 runners from nine countries, 42 states, and almost 260 Maine cities and towns. Thousands of spectators cheered runners along the route and at the finish, and more than 800 volunteers helped ensure a smooth operation. In 2021, more than 2,000 runners participated in the race’s only Virtual TD Beach to Beacon 10K. The race debuted in 1998 with 2,408 runners crossing the finish line.
More than $90,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in various categories for men and women, and a separate $30,000 donation is provided to a designated beneficiary each year by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®.
With its combined focus on sustainability and charitable donations, the TDB2B10K exemplifies TD Bank’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment through The Ready Commitment, a multi-year platform that actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, environmental well-being, and health, and increases opportunities for people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Through this platform, TD Bank aspires to create a more inclusive tomorrow—helping people of all backgrounds feel more confident, not just about their finances, but about their ability to achieve their goals.
The iconic event is managed by DMSE Sports of Woburn, Massachusetts. Along with the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, DMSE assists the Boston Athletic Association with managing the Boston Marathon and other high-profile sports events.
For additional information about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org, and find the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing over 9.9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Auto Finance, a division of TD Bank, N.A., offers vehicle financing and dealer commercial services. TD Bank and its subsidiaries also offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US.
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol “TD”. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.