CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (August 6, 2022) – Matthew Kimeli of Kenya (28:38) and Fentyea Belkayneh of Ethiopia (32:06) are the elite of the elite in this year’s running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K.

With the pace slowed due to the heat and humidity, the elite male runners were bunched in the early portion of the race until Kimeli slowly began pulling away from the rest of the field. He finished twenty seconds ahead of Athanas Kioko of Clarksville, Georgia. Abbabiya Simbassa representing the University of Oklahoma finished third.

In the women’s race Emily Durgin, a Standish native now living in Arizona, led for most of the early race with Belayneh on her heels. Belayneh eventually passed Durgin after mile four. After the two traded places for a bit, Belayneh took the lead for good. Durgin finished second, nine seconds off the pace. Biruktayit Degefa of Ethiopia came in third, twenty-three seconds behind Durgin.

The races for top Maine finishers were as heated as the weather. For the women, Aly Urainy of Yarmouth (36:17) scored the victory, with Ruth White of Orono finishing second. It was an impressive weekend for White, who was the top female finisher in the High School Mile race held on Friday when she broke a course record. Alexis Wilbert of Cumberland came in third

In the men’s race, Sam Mills of Biddeford (31:08) won by an impressive twenty-one second margin over Matt Rand of Portland. Spencer McElwain from Saco placed third.

In the Wheelchair Division, Herman Garic of Utica New York took home top honors with a time of 23:10. Yen Hoang of Champaign, Illinois (26:51) was the top female finisher.

In the Masters division, a pair of Mainers swept the men’s and women’s races with Erik McCarthy of Orono (32:27) and Heather Gallant of Wayne (37:08) winning by sizable margins.

Another Mainer won the overall Men’s Seniors Division with Rico Portalatin (age 51) of Milo finishing with a time of 35:13. Robert Ashby (age 54) of Brunswick came in second.

In the Women’s Seniors Division, Karolyn Bowley (age 53) of Middletown RI (37:47) lead the pack. Sheri Piers (age 51) of Falmouth (39:14) was the top Maine finisher.

As mentioned earlier, in the High School Mile, Ruth White of Orono won the girls’ race, setting a course record with a time of 5:23. Hadley Mahoney and Emma Young both of Cape Elizabeth finished second and third.

In the boy’s race, Parker Libby of Mt. Ararat won with a time of 4:38. Nathan Blades of Portland finished second and Henry Horne of Freeport came in third.

An Iconic Maine Road Race

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®.

The Cromwell Center of Disabilities Awareness is the 2022 beneficiary of the race and more than $40,000 was donated by participants.

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.

Photo Credit: Kevin Morris (more photos available upon request)

Local Support Makes TD Beach to Beacon 10K a Success

The TD Beach to Beacon 10K is overseen by its 60-member volunteer Organizing Committee, led by Race President David Backer.  Local residents from all walks of life, plus police, fire, medical and municipal officials serve on the committee to plan the event. Maya Cohen of Cape Elizabeth coordinates the more than 800 volunteers who are central to the success of the race.

Local residents also open up their homes for the elite athletes as part of a “home-stay” program that is second to none. In addition, the Town of Cape Elizabeth is especially helpful – providing police, fire and emergency services and staff to help ensure the event runs smoothly.

The TD Beach to Beacon also has a long history of commitment to the environment with a focus on recycling, reuse and eco-friendly activities. In 2016, the race achieved Evergreen Certification, becoming the first major road race of its size in North America – and only the sixth event ever worldwide – to earn the distinction from the Council for Responsible Sport, which conducted a rigorous review of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K environmental and social sustainability programs. The TD Beach to Beacon secured Evergreen status again in 2019.

The race begins near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77, winds along tree-lined streets and past breathtaking ocean vistas and ends in Fort Williams Park at the historic Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

Along with the $90,000 in prize money awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women, a separate $30,000 donation is provided each year by the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, to a local charity. This year’s beneficiary is The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness.

About The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness 

The Cromwell Center is the only provider of disabilities awareness, sensitivity, inclusion, and anti-bullying programs in Maine schools. In fact, they are the only organization in the U.S. that takes this hands-on, personalized, interactive, classroom-based approach to improving understanding, respect, and inclusion. So far, they have partnered with 220 Maine schools and 8,000 classrooms, and in the 2019 school year alone delivered face-to-face programming to 16,135 students in 92 schools.

The Cromwell Center’s programs include:

Respecting ABILITIES: A classroom-based program for grades 1-6 designed to build sensitivity and understanding, reduce bullying and create more inclusive schools and communities. This program is offered at no cost to Maine schools, and is delivered in person by a Cromwell Center program leader or through a curriculum kit that provides schools with:

A comprehensive, detailed, scripted lesson plan for each grade

•           All supplies and materials needed to carry out the activities

•           Video book-readings and activities

•           Books and posters for each school

•           Follow up activities and resources for families

•           Resources and information for educators

Building Kinder Communities: A disabilities awareness and sensitivity training program for adults including parents/guardians and school staff. These interactive sessions help adults have positive conversations with kids about disabilities, model positive attitudes and language, and help children be more supportive and respectful. To learn more about The Cromwell Center’s programs, visit www.cromwellcenter.org.

In addition to TD Bank, the title and lead prize money sponsor, other corporate partners who help make the TD Beach to Beacon possible are Nike, Hannaford, Poland Spring, MaineHealth, IDEXX, Northeast Delta Dental, L.L. Bean, NEWS CENTER Maine, Spectrum Health Partners Unum, Oakhurst, and Courtyard By Marriot.

For additional information about the race, visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com

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

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

Photos of winners at finish line, courtesy of Kevin Morris.

Photos of all top winners are available upon request.
 

About The TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank ®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed over $199 million and more than 19,400 grants through donations to local nonprofits from Maine to Florida. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including the online grant application, is available at TDBank.com.

About TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank ^®

Error! Filename not specified.   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.TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In 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.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.