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Entries for the 11th TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10-K sold out in a head-spinning 26 hours, organizers announced yesterday evening. Maine's most popular road race is scheduled for Saturday, August 2, in the seaside town of Cape Elizabeth, hometown of Olympic gold medalist Joan Samuelson who cofounded the race.
For the first time, the event eliminated paper entries entirely. Electronic entries began to pour in as soon as registration opened last Saturday. More than 5000 runners signed up in the first ten hours alone, and the 5500-runner limit was reached soon thereafter.
"It's amazing how quickly the race filled this year, and truly a testament to the popularity and success of this race; though frankly I’m not that surprised," said David Weatherbie, president of the race in a prepared statement. "I really think this is a reflection of how well we communicated the online-only registration process as well as the registration date of March 15. Obviously, runners marked their calendars and didn't hesitate."
Along with the Falmouth Road Race in neighboring Massachusetts, the Beach to Beacon 10-K is one of the highlights of the summer road racing schedule in New England. The fast point-to-point course offers beautiful views of the rugged Maine coast, although the fastest runners may never notice. The course records are 27:28 for men, set by Kenyan Gilbert Okari in 2003, and 31:26 for women, set by Russian Alevtina Ivanova in 2006.
The race also has a charity component, naming a different beneficiary each year. This year race $30,000 of the race budget will be donated to the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, the sponsor of Camp Susan Curtis, a summer camp dedicated to improving the lives of economically disadvantaged Maine children ages 8 to 18.
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