Beach to Beacon 10K


The TD Beach to Beacon 10K is a road running event that takes place along the coastline of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It begins at Crescent Beach State Park and ends at the Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park. One of the most competitive 10K road races in the United States, it was founded in 1998 by U.S. women's marathon runner Joan Benoit Samuelson, who in 1984, won the first ever women's Olympic marathon. The race is managed by DMSE, Inc. whose president, Dave McGillivray, directs the Boston Marathon and more than 30 other races each year. The current President of the race is attorney, David Backer.

History

Starting out as mainly a local race, world-class international athletes now participate in the annual event, including Catherine Ndereba, Meb Keflezighi, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri, and Edna Kiplagat. Top American runners to compete in recent years include Conner Mantz, Clayton Young, Ryan Hall, Joe Klecker, Ben True, Sara Hall, Deena Kastor, Fiona O'Keeffe, and Keira D'Amato. In 1998, the first year the event was held, over 3000 runners participated in the race. The 2009 race event registration filled in just 1 hour 45 minutes.
A then-record 5,668 runners participated in the event in 2010, which saw Lineth Chepkurui break the women's course record by almost half a minute. This mark was again improved in 2017 by Mary Keitany, as she clocked a time of 30:41, which remains the women's record as of 2025. Conner Mantz ran 27:26 in the 2025 event to break the previous record of 27:27 set by Gilbert Okari in 2003. Mantz is one of only two Americans to ever win the race, the other being Maine native Ben True.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants automatically receiving full refunds and the option to register early for the 2021 edition. Ultimately the 2021 event was also cancelled and a virtual competition was held instead. The race returned in 2022 with a COVID vaccination requirement. This requirement was subsequently dropped in 2023, as participation returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Prize Money

Awarding over $90,000 in prize money, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K is one of the most lucrative road races in the U.S. shorter than the marathon distance. Overall male and female winners earn $10,000, while the top American finisher wins $5,000. Top Master and Senior runners also win prize money. Additionally, the race features a Maine resident division. The male and female winners receive $1,000 and are regarded as the Maine road racing champions for the year.

Beneficiary

Each year, a Maine non-profit organization serving youths is awarded the designation of race beneficiary. Title sponsor TD Bank donates $30,000 to the beneficiary, while additional fundraising opportunities are available during runner registration or through other event sponsors. Publicity generated from the non-profit's association with the Beach to Beacon 10K often results in total fundraising surpassing $100,000.

Overall winners

'''Key:'''

Maine winners

EditionYearMen's winnerTime Women's winnerTime
1st1998Bob Winn30:52Julia Kirtland34:56
2nd1999Bob Winn31:11Julia Kirtland35:07
3rd2000Todd Coffin31:36Julia Kirtland35:35
4th2001Andy Spaulding31:29Christine Snow-Reaser36:13
5th2002Andy Spaulding31:26Christine Snow-Reaser36:30
6th2003Eric Giddings31:18Maggie Hanson35:47
7th2004Ethan Hemphill31:35Susannah Beck35:22
8th2005Eric Giddings30:34Emily Levan35:52
9th2006Donny Drake31:16Emily Levan35:40
10th2007Ayalew Taye30:47Emily Levan35:01
11th2008Ben True31:02Kristin Barry34:37
12th2009Ben True29:10Sheri Piers34:17
13th2010Pat Tarpy29:28Kristin Barry34:35
14th2011Louis Luchini30:36Sheri Piers35:11
15th2012Ethan Shaw30:37Sheri Piers34:22
16th2013Riley Masters30:19Erica Jesseman34:17
17th2014Will Geoghegan29:53 Michelle Lilienthal33:39
18th2015Ben Decker32:49Erica Jesseman34:53
19th2016Jesse Orach31:31 Michelle Lilienthal34:53
20th2017Jesse Orach*31:31Emily Durgin34:43
21st2018Ryan Smith30:50 Michelle Lilienthal36:16
22nd2019Dan Curts29:26Sofie Matson36:01
24th2022Sam Mills31:08Aly Ursiny36:17
25th2023Matt Rand30:41Ruth White34:56
26th2024Luke Marsanskis29:12Veronica Graziano35:51
27th2025Luke Marsanskis29:27Ruth White34:51