July 9, 2019 | Angie Helton | Northeast Media Associates

TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race Pursues Recertification in 2019 as a Sustainable Event Needs Green Team Volunteers to Help on Race Day

The race first received the international certification in 2012

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (July 8, 2019) – The commitment of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K to sustainability will be on full display as event organizers pursue recertification from an international environmental and social assessment organization.

The TD Beach to Beacon 10K achieved Evergreen Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in 2016, following a rigorous review of the environmental and social sustainability programs in place at the race, ranging from comprehensive recycling and measuring and reducing carbon emissions, to raising money for charity and leaving a positive legacy in the community.

Race founder and running icon Joan Benoit Samuelson, a lifelong Mainer and 1984 Women’s Olympic Marathon gold medalist, said running and environmental awareness are naturally enmeshed. “Runners are in tune with environmental changes by the nature of their daily runs and running experiences,” she said. “It only makes sense for a race that receives great acclaim and visibility to do its part to reduce the runners’ footprint throughout the event – from before they start the race until well after they cross the finish line.”

The TD Beach to Beacon 10K is one of only seven mass-participatory events to achieve Evergreen Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, and the first major road race in North America to achieve the top status. The TD Beach to Beacon 10K achieved Silver Certification in 2012 and Gold Certification in 2014 before achieving the highest, Evergreen level in 2016. The certification is valid for two years.

The Council for Responsible Sport is an Oregon-based nonprofit, founded in 2007, that provides objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are performing nationwide. The process is meticulous; event organizers are required to provide detailed measurements and documentation of sustainability efforts and outcomes.

Athletes for a Fit Planet, led by Bruce Rayner, advises the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on cost-effective strategies and products and services for maximizing waste diversion from landfill to recycling and composting, reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, and minimizing the impact of the event on the local environment.

“Earning Evergreen Certification is challenging as it touches all aspects of an event. It requires broad-based support from everyone involved including staff, volunteers, vendors, sponsors and of course runners,” said Rayner. “But the rigorous process is made easier because for the TD Beach to Beacon, sustainability and environmental awareness have always been deeply embedded in its mission.”

“ON Semiconductor is proud to be the Sustainability Sponsor of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K and supports the efforts of the race organizers to earn recognition as a sustainability leader in the road racing community, said Joshua Madore, Managing Director of ON Semiconductor in South Portland. “The efforts of the race align with ON’s sustainability priority to manufacture power solutions that improve energy efficiency in personal, commercial and industrial applications”.

The TD Beach to Beacon has ambitious green goals for this year’s race, including:

  • Recycling and composting from start to finish in order to divert more than 90% of waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.
  • Recycling old running shoes through Nike’s Reuse-a-shoe program, providing new life for the materials in such things as playgrounds, basketball courts and tracks.
  • Reducing the carbon footprint of the race by encouraging runners, volunteers and spectators to ride their bikes to the race, taking advantage of free bike valet parking at Fort Williams offered in partnership with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.
  • Encouraging the use of carpools, satellite parking and free shuttles to race locations to reduce emissions and traffic congestion.

To learn more about TD Beach to Beacon’s sustainability measures, visit https://www.beach2beacon.org/about/greening-b2b/

“Achieving these ambitious goals would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our many dedicated Green Team volunteers,” said Maya Cohen, TD Beach to Beacon volunteer coordinator. “We need more than 800 volunteers—including 42 Green Team members—to make this event happen.” Those interested in registering for the Green Team, or other volunteer opportunities, should visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com/volunteer and click on General Volunteer then scroll down to the Green Team category. Our primary need is at the finish on race dayfrom 6:45 am to about noon.

The TD Beach to Beacon 10K, set for August 3, 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 $90,000 in prize money is awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women, and 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 The Telling Room, the race beneficiary.

For additional information about the race, visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com and to volunteer on the “green team” visit b2bdevelopment.wpengine.com/volunteer

and find the TD Beach to Beacon 10K on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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


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.