CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (July 31, 2023) – The TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race will feature an impressive slate of world-class athletes as the highly anticipated 25th running of the iconic race takes place Aug. 5.
The professional athletes will compete for 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.
25th running of TD Beach to Beacon features one of the most impressive
women’s fields in race history.
The women’s field is stacked with world-class talent, carrying on a tradition as old as the race itself, which has featured such greats as two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Championships gold medalist Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia; Ethiopian Meseret Defar, also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Champion; Mary Keitany of Kenya, three-time World Championships gold medalist, current world record holder in the women’s marathon (2:17:01) and TD Beach to Beacon (30:41). Kenyan Catherine Ndereba, two-time Olympic silver medalist, two-time World Champion, and four-time Boston Marathon champion, and of course race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic gold medalist in the inaugural women’s marathon and two-time Boston Marathon champion.
Joining that illustrious list is an impressive group of women who will vie for the TD Beach to Beacon title 10K title, including reigning 2023 Boston Marathon champion, two-time Olympic silver medalist and two-time World Champion, Hellen Obiri of Kenya, will make her TD Beach to Beacon 10K debut. She’ll be joined by fellow Kenyan and two-time Boston Marathon champion (2021 and 2017), Edna Kiplagat, who is also a two-time World Champion and four-time Marathon Majors Champion.
Vicoty Chepngeno of Kenya, who posted a personal best 10K time of 30:14 in Castellón, Spain last February and won the Aramaco Houston Half Marathon in 2022, will be among those to watch, along with three Ethiopians: Werkuha Getachew, who ranks #1 in the world in 3000m Steeple Chase; Fotyen Tesfaye, who placed 5th at the World Cross Country Championships earlier this year; and Bruktayit Degefa, who placed 3rd at last year’s TD Beach to Beacon 10K and set a 10K personal best (31:24) in Charleston, SC last spring. Andrea Seccafien, the Canadian 10,000 m champion, will also be in the mix.
Leading an impressive group of American women is Keira D’Amato of Oakton, VA, who set an American marathon record (2:19:12) last year in Houston and holds three USA Track & Field national titles. D’Amato will be heading to Budapest for the 2023 World Championships, along with Susanna Sullivan, who had a top-10 finish at the London Marathon earlier this year. Sara Hall, who finished second at the London Marathon (2020) and third at the Chicago Marathon (2021), will be competing in the master’s race, where she and Kenya’s Kiplagat threaten to shatter the master’s course record held by Edna Masni (31:56). Sarah Pagano, who has finished in the top eight at the Pan American Games and the NACAC Championships, will be in the mix in Cape Elizabeth, along with Fiona O’Keefe, one-time NACAC silver medalist.
Rachel Schneider Smith, who grew up in Maine, will be returning to the TD Beach to Beacon course after finishing fifth (32:56) in 2022. Smith is a two-time NACAC champion and represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Rounding out an exciting women’s field are Carmela Cardama Baez of Spain, former NCAA champion and European U20 bronze medalist, Seika Ogata and Momoka Kawaguchi of Japan. Ogata has had top-10 finishes at several distances this year, and Kawaguchi is a former Asian Championships silver medalist.
Men’s field brings new faces, returning favorites to Cape Elizabeth
The men’s field promises plenty of excitement, with many runners in contention. Among those expected to contend for the title are a trio of Ethiopians, including world U20 champion Addisu Yihune, and Muktar Edris, a two-time World Champion and one-time World U20 champion. Others to watch in the strong international field include Amedework Walelegn, also of Ethiopia, winner of the 2023 Seoul Marathon who has run the half-marathon in under 60 minutes seven times in the last five years; Yemane Haileselassie of Eritrea, who has competed in the Olympics, World Championships and was a silver medalist at the World U20 Championships; and two runners from Great Britain, and Patrick Dever, one-time national champion for Great Britain and former NCAA champion.
An impressive group of Americans are seeking to reclaim the TD Beach to Beacon 10K title for the USA, including Conner Mantz, who had a top-eight finish at the Chicago Marathon last year, and will be making his TD Beach to Beacon debut. Mantz, a two-time Division One National Cross Country Champion, winner of last year’s Boulder Marathon, has already posted a 10K time of 27:25 this year. Abbabiya ‘Biya’ Simbassa, who took third at last year’s TD Beach to Beacon (29:01) will be returning to contend for the title.
Other American men to watch include Kirubel Erassa, a top-eight finisher at the World Cross Country Championships; Colin Bennie, who had a top-10 finish at the Cowtown Half Marathon in Fort Worth in February (1:03:08); Reid Buchanan, former Pan American Games silver medalist; and Brian Shrader, who has already set new personal bests at several distances this year, including 10,000m, 15K, 25K, and half and full marathon.
Not to be overlooked are a trio of Japanese runners, including Olympian Tatsuhiko Ito, former World University Games bronze medalist; Shoya Kawase, who has first place finishes in Japan at 1500m (3:51.67) and 3000m (8:06.35) earlier this year; and Hideto Kosode, who took first in the 1500m at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Canada earlier this month (3:43.45).
Maine native and running legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic women’s marathon in 1984, founded the TD Beach to Beacon 10K to realize her vision of creating a major international road race in her home state. The route follows the same coastal roads Samuelson trained on in Cape Elizabeth. Her reputation, combined with top-notch organization and strong community support, have earned TD Beach to Beacon recognition as a world-class event with small-town charm.
The TD Beach to Beacon 10K begins near the 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.
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 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.