TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Sets Field Record
Chepkurui Bests Women's Record and Gebremariam Sprints to Men's Title
By Jason Wolfe
Posted Monday, 9 August, 2010
From Ryan Lamppa, Running USACAPE ELIZABETH, Maine (August 7, 2010) - Kenyan
Lineth Chepkurui shattered the women's course record and
Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia sprinted to the men's title in the 13th edition of the
TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
In the Maine Resident races, Kristin Barry of Scarborough reclaimed the women's title, while Patrick Tarpy of Yarmouth cruised to his first men's title.
The winners were among the record-setting 5,668 runners from 17 countries and 41 U.S. states who finished the picturesque 6.2-mile course.
Chepkurui confirmed her reputation as this season's most dominant road racer by clipping 26 seconds off the course record and becoming the first women to run a sub-31 10K on Maine soil with her time of 30 minutes, 59 seconds. Wude Ayalew, 23, of Ethiopia also broke the course record (31:07), but it was not enough on this day against 22-year-old Chepkurui. Edna Kipligat, 30, of Kenya took third (31:33). Defending champ Irene Limika, 30, of Kenya finished fourth (33:06).
Kipligat, Ayalew and Chepkurui, each ranked in the top 20 in the world, set a blistering pace early on, nearly staying with the lead pack of men for the first mile and distancing themselves from the other women. By the time they reached Fort Williams and the climb to the finish at the Portland Headlight, Kipligat had fallen off the pace, leaving Chepkurui to fend off a challenge by Ayalew. Legendary marathoner and two-time Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba, 38, of Kenya, a five-time TD Bank Beach to Beacon champ and former course record holder, placed sixth (33:34). Heidi Westhover, 29, of Walpole, N.H. was the first American finisher with a 34:11, good for eighth place.
On the men's side, 25-year-old Gebremariam (27:40), known as G.G., entered the race as one of the hottest runners on the circuit and did not disappoint. He traded places for much of the race with runner-up Alan Kiprono (27:42),Wilson Chebet (27:45), and Stephen Kipkosgei-Kibet (27:51), all Kenyans, before relying on his well-known sprinter's kick at the finish. Two-time defending champ Ed Muge, 27, of Kenya ran a 28:08, a nearly identical time as 2009, but it was only good enough for fifth this year. Ben True, a two-time Maine Resident champ now training in Oregon, finished 12th (29:02) running as an elite - the first American to finish.
A lead pack of 13 elite runners set a slow pace early on, which perhaps hindered Gebremariam's shot at the course record 27:28. By Mile 3, Chebet, 25, a skilled half marathoner, began to push the pace and spread the pack, followed by G.G. as well as Kiprono, 20, and Kipkosgei-Kibet, 23, a pair of relatively unknown young Kenyans running on American soil for the first time. Chebet still held the lead at Mile 5 before Gebremariam exerted his will.
Race President David Weatherbie, who ran the race, said the picture-perfect weather made for ideal running conditions.
"We had an incredibly deep field of elite athletes and they really put on a show, but they weren't alone," Weatherbie said. "We also had 20 Maine resident men who ran sub-33 minutes, which is a prime example of the depth and quality of this year's race from top to bottom. The best weather in 11 years really brought out the best for all involved."
Twenty Maine men may have recorded sub-33s, but only one, 28-year-old Tarpy, led from start to finish. Race favorite Tarpy, a former Brown University standout who has competed in the race as an elite athlete, ran away from a strong field to win by more than a minute over Phil Richert, 23, of Bar Harbor (30:28) and Robert Gomez, 27, of Westbrook (31:05).
The real excitement was in the Maine women's race, where Barry and Sheri Piers, close friends and training partners, dueled throughout the race. The pair crossed the finish line together, and judges awarded first place to Barry, who had beaten Piers and set a course record in 2008. Last year, Barry missed the race and Piers broke her course record. This year, Piers held onto the course record, but Barry gets bragging rights.
In all, prize money of more than $60,000 was awarded to the runners. Chepkurui also received a $2,500 bonus for setting a new course record.
The TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K was founded by TD Bank and Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Cape Elizabeth native, the race benefits a different charity each year.
The 2010 race beneficiary was Junior Achievement of Maine (www.jamaine.org), a non-profit organization providing economic education programs that help inspire Maine children to develop the skills, attitudes and behaviors of success in a global economy. The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, provided a cash donation of $30,000 to the organization.
Samuelson, a running legend and role model, spent most of Saturday's event at the finish line cheering and greeting recreational runners.
"It's great to see the elite athletes at the finish line, but the real inspiring stories are towards the end," Samuelson said. "Every runner who crosses the line has a story to tell, some heartwarming and some heart wrenching. That's what is really inspiring for me. I see how this race continues to change lives."
13th TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K
Cape Elizabeth, ME, Saturday, August 7, 2010
MEN
$10,000 - Gebre Gebremariam (ETH), 27:40.4
$5000 - Alan Kiprono (KEN), 27:41.7
$3000 - Wilson Chebet (KEN), 27:44.5
$2000 - Stephen Kiskosgei-Kibet (KEN), 27:51.4
$1000 - Ed Muge (KEN), 28:08.3
$900 - Shawn Forrest (AUS), 28:16.3
$800 - Martin Lel (KEN), 28:38.4
$700 - Boaz Cheboiywo (KEN), 28:44.4
$600 - Martin Fagan (IRE), 28:46.5
$500 - Joel Kemboi Kimurer (KEN), 28:56.7
WOMEN
$10,000 - Lineth Chepkurui (KEN), 30:59.4 *new record
$5000 - Wude Ayalew (ETH), 31:06.9
$3000 - Edna Kipligat (KEN), 31:33.1
$2000 - Irene Limika (KEN), 33:06.1
$1000 - Leonora Joy-Petrinia (NZL), 33:25.0
$900 - Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 33:33.7
$800 - Malika Mejdoub (MOR), 33:39.6
$700 - Heidi Westhover (NH), 34:11.2
$600 - Allison Krol (MA), 34:24.9
$500 - Kristin Berry (ME), 34:24.9
MASTERS (40+)
MEN
$1000 - James Koskei (KEN), 29:54.7
$500 - Mbarak Hussein (NM), 29:55.2
$250 - Joshua Brown (VT), 33:20.0
WOMEN
$1000 - Christine Reaser (ME), 39:18.2
$500 - Simonetta Piergentili (ME), 39:22.7
$250 - Mary Pardi (ME), 39:40.9
MAINE
MEN
$1000 - Patrick Tarpy (ME), 29:27.6
$500 - Phil Richert (ME), 30:27.8
$250 - Robert Gomez (ME), 31:04.8
WOMEN
$1000 - Kristin Barry (ME), 34:34.9
$500 - Sheri Piers (ME), 34:35.2
$250 - Erica Jessemen (ME), 35:48.6
CR
$2500 - Lineth Chepkurui (KEN), 30:59.4 bested previous 31:25.8 by Alventina Ivanova (RUS) in 2006.
Full results and more at: www.beach2beacon.org
