Photo by Victah Sailer www.photorun.net: Keith Dowling of Reston, VA finished tenth with a time of 30:20.

The Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K is a popular road race in early August, limited to 5,000 participants, with a huge crowd of spectators-this year there were 10,000 people along the course. Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic marathon gold medalist at the first Olympic women's marathon in 1984, is the founder and chair. She is from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, five miles southeast of Portland along the southern Maine coast, and the race covers some of her favorite training ground there. The setting is intimate, the population of Cape Elizabeth is close to 9,000 and the area is rural. Cape Elizabeth is "rimmed by craggy shores and sandy beaches," according to the town Web site.

Local roads close for hours to accommodate the runners; residents are proud and supportive. It seemed that every resident along the course came to the driveway to watch and cheer; many were blasting music from boom boxes. The Cape Elizabeth Fire Department had hoses to cool us down after the halfway point. There were water stations at every mile mark along with a clock for split times. The course starts near Crescent Beach State Park, goes through elegant neighborhoods on Old Ocean House Road and in Smugglers' Cove and Pond Cove, and ends just past Fort Williams on the grass at the famous Portland Head Light. The course is considered a fast one, with around three miles of downhill over the 6.2 miles.

My husband Gary and I arrived on a yellow school bus shuttle thirty minutes before the 8 a.m. start. Pace signs directed runners to an appropriate position behind the line. Typically, the daytime high is in the 80s and nighttime low in the 50s; this year, it rained for the first time during the race. There had been several foggy and overcast days during our stay in Maine; on race day, the overcast sky opened up, drizzle turned into a steady rain, and conditions during the run were quite humid.

The first two miles of Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K are on a wide road with few trees and are flat or downhill. Miles five to six are rumored to be the hardest in the race but they are tree-lined and shady. The toughest hills of the race came toward the end, up a short, steep incline to Fort Williams. Sharon Lemberger of Washington, D.C., who placed third among American women in 35:42, recommends the race to those seeking to run a fast time but suggests advance preparation, because the scenic course and great competition come with a course of rolling hills. Professional road racer Keith Dowling of Reston, VA, who placed third among American men in 30:20, considers it to be "aesthetically one of the best races one can run."

Photo below by Victah Sailer www.photorun.net: Susannah Beck was the best female Maine runner in 2004 with a time of 35:22.

There is a small Expo before the run, held at the Cape Elizabeth Middle School. Joan Benoit Samuelson is a visible presence at the Expo and at the race finish line; this year, there was a seminar for participants with some of the elites. The proceeds benefit a different charity each year. This year it was Ride to the Top, which provides horseback riding to children with disabilities; research has shown that the activity contributes to improvements in balance, strength and coordination. Self-confidence and trust also increase with therapeutic riding. Personnel from the charity were available at the Expo to talk with interested runners.

An elite athlete coordinator, Larry Barthlow, works carefully to arrange a fast group of runners - the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K is one of the fastest road races on the East Coast. The men's course record is 27:27. Race management is provided by Dave McGillivray, who also directs the Boston Marathon. At the post-race awards ceremony held in a park, it was possible to get up close to these gracious competitors, according to Susan McGregor of Chevy Chase, MD-age group awards were presented first, followed by the elite athlete awards.

This year, two Boston Marathon winners, Robert Cheryiout (2003) and Catherine Ndereba, (2000, 2001 & 2004) competed. Ndereba has five previous People's Beach to Beacon 10K wins and holds the women's course record of 31:34; she finished fifth with a time of 32:31 and heads to the Athens Olympic Games Marathon. Kenyan Gilbert Okari became the first repeat champion in the men's race as he broke away with less than 200 meters left to finish in 27:35. Kenyan Susan Chepkemei ran strong and missed the course record by one second with her time of 31:35. Top finishers from the state of Maine were Ethan Hemphill, 32, with a time of 31:45 and recently returned native Susannah Beck, 36, who ran 35:22. I finished in 56:14 with Gary, three months after the birth of our son Isaac. Maine's governor, John Baldacci, finished five minutes later in 59:21. 85 finishers in 2004 traveled from the District of Columbia, Virginia or Maryland. As word spreads of this splendid out-of-state race, expect more local runners to head for Joan Benoit Samuelson's hometown run.

For more information, see the race Web site: www.beach2beacon.org.

Photo above www.photorun.net: Susan Chepkemei of Kenya won the women's title in 31:35.