Online Registration for 2014 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Closes in Record 4:32, Lottery Phase Underway
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (March 14, 2014) – The online portion of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race registration filled 4,000 slots in a record-setting 4:32 on Friday morning, and those still looking for a spot at the start line began registering for the lottery.
Runners now have until midnight on March 23 to register for one of the 1,900 remaining bibs available through the lottery, which will be drawn on March 25. Runners can sign up for the lottery at the race website, b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com .
This year marks the 17th year for the popular international road race founded by Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson and set for Saturday, Aug. 2 in coastal Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
“For many of our runners, only race day itself can top the anticipation they feel the morning of online registration,” said volunteer race president Mike Stone.
“It is truly amazing each year how quickly registration fills and credit goes to RacePartner , who handles our registration, for doing a great job making the process as smooth and easy as possible for participants. Thanks to all for registering and good luck with your training. Look forward to seeing everyone on Aug. 2.”
This year’s record time trimmed 26 seconds off the 2013 record of 4:58. Cape Elizabeth residents, given a 24-hour window to fill 600 online slots on Thursday, reached the cap in less than seven minutes, also a new record.
Those who got into the race received an e-mail confirmation from race organizers and those who did not were re-directed to the bib lottery registration process. By 10 a.m. on Friday, 1,835 runners had entered the lottery, ahead of last year’s pace. Each lottery entrant is charged $5. Runners who get into the race via the lottery will be notified by e-mail and their names will be posted on the race website on March 25.
Registration also will get underway soon for race beneficiaries, sponsors, elite athletes and runners who have taken part in all 16 past races, who are known as legacy runners.
The race will allow registered-runner transfers from May 1 through June 30. The race will charge a $5 transfer fee. Cape Elizabeth residents registered in the 600 entries allocated to Cape Elizabeth residents can only transfer to another Cape Elizabeth resident.
In addition, the race’s 2014 beneficiary, Rippleffect , as well as past beneficiaries are making bib numbers available to runners in exchange for fundraising and/or support.
In 2013, a record-setting 6,244 runners from 16 countries, 39 states and more than 250 Maine cities and towns finished the scenic 6.2-mile course.
Thousands of spectators cheered runners along the route and at the finish, and more than 800 volunteers helped ensure a smooth operation. The race debuted in 1998 with 2,408 runners crossing the finish line.
Online registration for the Kids Fun Run will begin Monday, March 17 and continue through June 30, however, parents can also register their children at the Expo or on Race Day.
The TD Beach to Beacon draws runners from throughout the region and the world to picturesque Cape Elizabeth.
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.
More than $60,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women, and a $30,000 donation is provided each year by the TD Charitable Foundation to the race charity. Rippleffect ( www.rippleffect.net ), a Portland-based non-profit youth and community development organization operating outdoor adventure programs, was recently named the 2014 beneficiary.
In addition to TD Bank , other major corporate partners include Hannaford, Nike, Poland Spring, Fairchild Semiconductor, IDEXX, Northeast Delta Dental, MaineHealth and WCSH6. For additional information about the race, visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com, and find the TD Beach to Beacon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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 ®
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.
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Aerial photos courtesy of Kevin Morris , 2013 race start photo courtesy of Ann Kaplan