New Champions to Be Crowned at 28th TD Beach to Beacon 10K

CAPE ELIZABETH — When thousands of runners stream through the streets of Cape Elizabeth on Saturday morning for the 28th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, the race will feature something it hasn't had in recent memory: a wide-open competition at the front of the pack.

Neither the men's nor the women's defending champion will be in the field this year, leaving the door open for a new name to be etched into the event's history. The men's and women's winners will each take home a $10,000 first-place prize.

Last year's men's champion, Conner Mantz, made history by becoming only the second American to win the race while shattering the course record with a time of 27 minutes, 26 seconds. The women's podium is also entirely vacant, with last year's top three finishers — Izzy Batt Doyle, Asmarech Anley, and Fiona O'Keeffe — all absent from this year's field.

The Men's Race: A Kenyan Favorite and a Hungry Field

Heading into Saturday's competition, much of the attention falls on Patrick Kiprop of Kenya, who finished second a year ago in 27:36 — the fourth-fastest time in race history. Race organizers believe Kiprop played a crucial role in pushing Mantz to that record-breaking performance.

"Without Patrick, we don't get the course record," said Larry Barthlow, the race's professional athlete coordinator. "He put it all on the line, he made things happen."

Kiprop enters this year's race with momentum, having won three 10K races this season, including the prestigious Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. He believes his familiarity with the demanding Cape Elizabeth course gives him an edge.

"I know how the course is," Kiprop said. "The key is to be patient in the beginning, because the beginning is downhill, and then push a little bit toward the end and save a little bit for the last."

But Kiprop will face stiff competition from Habtom Samuel of Eritrea, who Barthlow called "one of the most exciting runners" in the field. Samuel, who has never raced at Beach to Beacon, arrives with ambitions befitting his talent.

"I'm hoping to break the course record … and take the win at the same time," Samuel said. "This is my first 10K road race, so I'm excited. I've heard this course is amazing."

Samuel's resume suggests he belongs in the conversation. He won the NCAA Division I championship in the 10,000 meters in 2024 while at the University of New Mexico, then claimed the NCAA cross country title in 2025.

Britain's Patrick Dever is another strong contender after finishing fourth last year in a personal-best 27:44. A 2024 Olympian, Dever ran 2:06:18 at this year's London Marathon and took third at the 2025 New York City Marathon.

For American fans, the top domestic hope appears to be Biya Simbassa, a 33-year-old who finished ninth overall last year in 28:07 and took third in 2022. A former U.S. 10K and 25K champion, Simbassa has been a consistent presence near the front of the Beach to Beacon field.

"He's always in the hunt here," Barthlow said.

Rounding out the list of men's favorites is Raphal Dapash of Kenya, who was third at the Peachtree 10K and boasts a personal-best 10K time of 27:09.

The Women's Race: A Truly Open Contest

With last year's top three gone, the women's race may be the most unpredictable in years.

Pamela Kosgei of Kenya enters as one of the athletes to watch. A junior national champion in Kenya, Kosgei continued her ascent in the United States by winning the NCAA 10,000 meters title in 2025 for the University of New Mexico, after finishing as runner-up in the NCAA cross country championships in 2024. Saturday's race will be her first road competition.

"I feel like anybody (can) win," Kosgei said. "It would mean a lot to me. … I expect maybe to win, be second or be at the podium. I'd be proud to be at the podium."

Uruguay's Julia Paternain brings a different kind of threat. A marathoner by trade, Paternain may lack the pure 10K speed of some rivals but could benefit from superior conditioning if the race turns tactical late.

"This is going to feel pretty fast for me," Paternain said. "I have to trust in my strength. Since I train at altitude, I have a lot of aerobic strength. … There are a lot of really fast women in this, so hopefully I'll kind of get dragged along to a fast time."

Kenya's Vicoty Chepngeno has proven herself on some of the world's biggest stages, with a sixth-place finish at the Los Angeles Marathon (2:29:56), a win at the Beijing Marathon, and a runner-up showing at the 2024 Houston Marathon. She owns a 10K personal best of 30:14, set in February 2022.

On the American side, Elise Cranny brings world-class speed. A two-time Olympian (2021 and 2024) and former Stanford standout, Cranny won three consecutive USATF 5,000-meter titles from 2021 to 2023 and added a 10K national championship in 2023. Her 10K personal best of 30:14 ranks her as the third-fastest American woman in history, according to worldathletics.org.

The highest finisher returning from last year's race is Molly Born, who placed fourth in 31:55. Born has continued to build on that performance this season, winning the USA Half Marathon Championship in Atlanta in March with a time of 1:09:43.

A Course Like No Other

What makes the Beach to Beacon so unpredictable — and so beloved — is the course itself. From the rolling opening miles to the climbs that test runners in the back half, the route demands both patience and a finishing kick. Athletes who try to bank too much time early often find themselves emptied out before they reach the finish line at Fort Williams Park.

With both defending champions absent and a deep field of contenders ready to pounce, Saturday's race promises to deliver a new chapter in one of New England's most celebrated running events.