CAPE ELIZABETH – The plaintive call of the foghorn was miles away from the white tent pitched alongside the Inn by the Sea on Friday morning, so the invited runners instead drew inspiration from the words of the Beach to Beacon 10K founder, Joan Benoit Samuelson.
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“I know it’s an exciting time for our sport in London,” she said at the end of the annual pre-race gathering in her hometown, “but it’s also a very exciting time for us here in Cape Elizabeth. Many of you have been to the Olympics and many of you have come so close, and many of you will have Olympics in your future.”
As she does every five years, the 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist will run her own race Saturday morning, accompanied by fellow Olympians Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter, and the 77-year-old former president of L.L. Bean, Leon Gorman, whose company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. That quartet will reach the Portland Head Light long after the first male and female finishers complete their 6.2-mile journey by foot.
Prize money for the top men and women starts at $10,000 for first place and goes to $500 for 10th, with a $2,500 bonus for a course record in the open division.
Among those most likely to be cashing big checks are the winners of last week’s Bix 7-mile road race in Davenport, Iowa: 27-year-old Silas Kipruto and 26-year-old Margaret Wangari-Muriuki, both of Kenya.
Both of the favorites are among the oldest of the elite field. Allan Kiprono, 22, is a three-time winner of U.S. road races this year who is making his third Beach to Beacon appearance, having finished fifth last year and second in 2010.
Fellow Kenyan Lucas Rotich, 22, is the 2011 Beach to Beacon runner-up, and defending champion at next weekend’s Falmouth (Mass.) race. Lelisa Desisa, an alternate for the Ethiopian Olympic team, is also 22 and countryman Gebretsadik Abraha is only 20.
“I’m still young,” Kiprono said in response to a question about his veteran status. He said Rotich and two-time (2008-09) Beach to Beacon champion Ed Muge, 29, are likely to be in contention Saturday morning. “I know these guys.”
In the elite women’s field, Lineth Chepkurai of Kenya and Wude Ayalew of Ethiopia are both known quantities. They staged a memorable 2010 duel in which both broke the previous course record, with Chepkurai winning in 30:59 and Ayalew clocking 31:07. Neither raced in Cape Elizabeth last year.
“This year it’s going to be very challenging,” Chepkurai said, “because not only Wude but we have fellow Kenyans who are very strong.”
That group includes Pauline Njeri-Kahenya, Jelliah Tinega and Rita Jeptoo. Tinega is the 2011 Beach to Beacon runner-up and has won two U.S. road races already this year. Jeptoo is the 2006 Boston Marathon champion.
Two Russian women could contend, Valentina Galimova and Kseniya Agafonova. The top U.S. runners are Julia Lucas of North Carolina, Lindsey Scherf of New York and Rebecca Donaghue of Pennsylvania.
Many of the invited runners have something to prove, if not to themselves, to those who selected for their country’s Olympic squads.
“Unlike the American system, (where it’s usually) top three you go,” said elite athlete coordinator Larry Barthlow, “in some other countries there’s some politics involved. These guys never know what’s going to happen.”
Gilbert Okari holds the course record of 27:28. Kipruto, the two-time Bix winner, made a point of asking Barthlow about that mark.
“I think,” Barthlow said, “he has his eyes on running fast.”
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
Twitter: GlennJordanPPH
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