CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (August 4, 2022) – The TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race will feature an impressive slate of world-class athletes as the highly anticipated 24th running of the iconic race gets underway on August 6, 2022.

New Faces in Elite Field This Year

On the men’s side, favorites in the international field include Mathew Kimeli of Kenya, a former national champion in the 10,000 meters, who won the adizero Road to Records Half Marathon in Germany this year.

Zouhair Talbi of Morocco, a World University Games silver medalist, has had a strong season so far, with several first-place finishes at multiple distances.

Among the Americans, North Yarmouth, Maine native Ben True, who won the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in 2016, and who was the first American ever to win in Cape Elizabeth, returns as the local favorite.

Several other Americans hoping to become the second from the United States to claim victory atop the TD Beach to Beacon platform include:

• Emmanuel Bor, from Kenya has had several top five finishes in 2022
• Biya Simbassa former national champion representing the University of Oklahoma
• Matt McDonald, winner of the New Bedford Half Marathon in March and a top-20 finisher at the Boston Marathon in 2022
• Ryan Hill, a two-time World Champion representing North Carolina State University and silver medalist at the World Indoor Championships

Other Americans to watch include Tim McGowan, who ran for Roger Williams College and is currently assistant coach at Boston College; Noah Droddy, who has had two top-10 half marathon finishes this year; Jerrell Mock, who ran for Colorado State University and posted a personal best 10K in Boston this year; and Colin Bennie, Syracuse University All-American and the top American finisher at the 2021 Boston Marathon.

On the women’s side, a strong international field includes Fentaye Belayneh and Bruktayit Degefa Eshetu representing Ethiopia. Belayneh won the gold at adizero Road to Records 10K in Herzogenaurach, Germany in April, and Eshetu has already posted four first-place finishes in 2022 at the 5000m, 5K and 10K distances.

Also expected to compete for the title are Zenah Jumatai Yego of Kenya, who recently took third at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi. Japan will also be well represented with Mai Shoji, Miki Hirai and Seika Ogata, all scheduled to compete.

Two elite women have ties to Maine. Rachel Smith, the Georgetown University All-American and 2020 Olympian hails from Sanford. She is thought to be the only woman from Maine to run 5,000 meters in under 15 minutes. Emily Durgin, the University of Connecticut All-American, ran a half marathon in 1:07:54, one of the top ten fastest times ever posted by an American woman. She attended Cheverus High School in Portland.

In addition to Smith and Durgin, several other Americans are expected to contend in an impressive women’s field. Marielle Hall, 2016 Olympian at 10,000m and NCAA champion from the University of Texas, and Jordan Hasay, an All-American at the University of Oregon who has top-three finishes at the Boston and Chicago Marathons, are among the women to watch.

Rounding out a competitive women’s field are Nell Rojas, the United States ten-mile champion last year and a top-10 finisher at the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022; Amy Davis, All-American from Wisconsin; Erika Kemp, USA Track and Field 20K champion in 2021; and Maegan Krifchin, who ran for Syracuse University and had a top-20 finish at the Boston Marathon in 2022.

Maine native and running legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic women’s marathon in 1984, founded the TD Beach to Beacon to realize her vision of creating a major international road race in her home state. The route follows the same coastal roads that the unassuming Samuelson trained on in Cape Elizabeth. With her reputation, plus top-notch organization and strong community support, the TD Beach to Beach is known and appreciated as a world-class event with small-town charm.

In 2019, 6,417 runners from nine countries, 42 states and nearly 260 Maine cities and towns finished the race. Thousands of spectators cheered runners along the route and at the finish. The race debuted in 1998 with 2,408 finishers.

The TD Beach to Beacon begins near Crescent Beach State Park entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth and winds along tree-lined roads and past dramatic ocean vistas before ending 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park near Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in America.

The elite athletes will compete for more than $90,000 in prize money, with $10,000 awarded to the winners in the men’s and women’s open races and payouts to 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.

For additional information about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org,

and find the TD Beach to Beacon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contact: Angie Helton at 207-653-0365 or angie@nemediaassociates.com.

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 2019, the 22nd running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K included 6,417 finishers 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 first-ever 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.

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 more than 9.7 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 Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. 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.  ###