Joan Benoit Samuelson’s running career began on the roads of Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth. She says she ran there so she wouldn’t be seen running on the roads around town. After a very successful racing career that included winning gold in the first-ever Olympic women’s marathon in 1984, Samuelson retired from competitive running. But 10 years ago, her vision for a world-class road race in Maine became a reality.

“In some ways (10 years) has gone by very quickly,” Samuelson remembered. “In other ways I can still remember all the organizing committee meetings and all the different personalities and the guests we’ve had travel through the years with us. It’s just been a wonderful run thus far and I hope it continues to be.”

Saturday marked the tenth running of the Beach to Beacon, a race that has grown in popularity and stature since its very beginning. Samuelson says the idea for the race was a very simple one.

“I logged a lot of miles on these roads having grown up here and I always maintained even then that they are some of the best roads anywhere in the world,” she said. “You think about a lot of things when you run and the thought kept coming back ‘could this roadway and this community ever support a world class race?’ I had enough belief and vision to want to see if that could happen.”

Indeed the race has grown from its humble beginnings 10 years ago. The first race had 2,408 runners cross the finish line and that number has grown steadily each year, with about 5,500 runners competing in the race this year. In fact, over 35,000 runners have completed the 10K course in the 10-year history of the event.

As for the name of the race and the course, Samuelson said it was suggested by Cape’s most famous landmark, the Portland Head Light, which stands right by the finish line. “I always wanted to finish a race with the beacon sort of calling runners,” Samuelson said. “Then I thought Beach to Beacon. Then I wondered where is there a beach about 10K away? 10K seemed right because you don’t want too long a race in summer. So that’s where the start by Crescent Beach came from.”

Each year the race attracts many of the top athletes in the world. Among them this year are defending race winner Thomas Nyariki, Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi. In fact, runners from Great Britain, Germany, China, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Italy, Sudan and 12 other countries were represented at this year’s race.

Runners come from all over the United States as well, this year runners from 41 states, including one runner who came from as far away as Alaska, joined Samuelson at the starting line.

Samuelson made a rare appearance as a runner this year, to honor the 10th anniversary of the race.

“I still have a hard time toeing the line because this was the event in which I wasn’t going to participate,” Samuelson said before the race. “It was my chance to be on the other side and give back to the sport and the community who supported my career over the years. I just didn’t think I wanted to go there. Then there was a lot of pressure when year five rolled around with 9/11 and the firefighters coming out it seemed like an appropriate time to give thanks. That was going to be it, but then we said (she would run) every five years and here we are at year 10. So I will be running with Jacqueline Gareau, the 1980 Boston marathon champ and Grete Waitz will be here. She was a great mentor for me, and a pioneer in women’s marathon running. To be able to share the 10th with her here as a guest is very special.”

Waitz and Gareau are just a couple of the special guests to have visited the Beach to Beacon over the years. In 2001, Sir Roger Bannister, the first runner to run the mile in less than four minutes when he posted a time of 3:59.4 in 1954, served as Grand Marshall for the race. His visit is just one of many of Samuelson’s cherished Beach to Beacon memories.

“I think watching the race grow and watching people who I never thought would run a race run has been amazing,” Samuelson said. “Seeing the records broken, having Roger Bannister here that year, Grete coming this year, the firefighters, seeing the Cape Elizabeth and South Portland ladder trucks come together to hold the American flag, seeing the international flags at the ceremony, seeing some of these international athletes go into the community and seeing the sun shine on us just about every year to some degree. There are a lot of things to be thankful for in my mind but mostly it’s the outpouring of support on every level that have made this event the big success that it has been.”

Looking back on 10 years, Samuelson’s vision for the race has been realized and this year’s race continued that vision.

“There is something for everyone whether they are in the race for the first time or the tenth time or whether they are watching for the first time or the tenth time, Samuelson said. “It will be a celebration of 10 years.”

Sports Editor Mike Higgins contributed to this report