February 11, 2008

TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K Registration Going Paperless for 2008 Road Race

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (February 11, 2008) – The registration process for the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race will be paperless this year for the first time, race officials announced Monday.

Online registration – set to begin March 15 – will be the only means for runners to enter the popular road race. The 2008 TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K will take place on Saturday, Aug. 2, along the Maine coast in Cape Elizabeth.

Registering online already is the preferred method for 85 to 90 percent of the 5,500-runner field, which prompted race officials to forego the past practice of printing and mailing paper applications to each of the previous year’s entrants.

“The printed applications really had grown obsolete with such a vast majority of runners preferring to register using the online process,” said David Weatherbie of Cape Elizabeth, the race president. “It just stopped making sense to continue to print and mail applications. The money and time expended can be better utilized in other areas.”

Another key deciding factor is the benefit to the environment in eliminating the paper waste from the thousands of unused printed applications, race officials said.

Race officials are taking steps to inform the public and ensure a smooth transition to paperless registration. Last year’s entrants will be notified of the change by email, if available, and a postcard.

Due in part to the steady growth of online registration, the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon has filled faster each year. Last year, for example, online registration closed in 10 days and the remaining slots were filled within a few weeks by those using paper applications. This year, online registration will remain open until all slots are filled.

Race officials ask anyone with questions to monitor the race web site at http://www.beach2beacon.org/ for more information and instructions.

“We really want to get the word out so everyone knows they will not be receiving a paper application in the mail,” Weatherbie said. “We also want to encourage them to mark their calendars for March 15 so they can be sure to get online and register and not miss out.”

Registration for the Kids Fun Run also will be conducted online only, and will close once 500 children are registered.

Registered runners will still receive a printed “confirmation brochure” during the summer containing race details, directions and other information.

This year marks the 11th year for the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon, one of Maine’s premiere sporting events and one of the most popular events on the U.S. road race circuit. The race draws a field of 5,500 runners from throughout the region and the world to the small coastal community in Maine. As many as 10,000 spectators line the course to cheer the runners, and more than 800 volunteers help ensure a smooth operation.

The race begins near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth, winds past breathtaking ocean vistas, and ends at the historic Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park.

Nearly $60,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. For more information, visithttp://www.beach2beacon.org/.

TD Banknorth is the title sponsor of the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the Olympic gold medalist from Cape Elizabeth who also serves as a spokesperson for the bank during the year to promote the race and the bank’s giving programs, which benefit Maine youth with sponsorship programs and charitable donations.