CAPE ELIZABETH — An impressive roster of local men and women are competing for bragging rights as the top Maine finishers in the 2026 TD Beach to Beacon 10K.
Ruth White of Orono, the Maine women’s champion in 2023 and 2025, returns to defend her title. White competed in the 10,000 meters at the last two NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the University of New Hampshire, finishing ninth in 2025 and 22nd in 2026. She has posted a 33:08 10K and a 16:03 5K on the track this spring.
White is the favorite but will be challenged by several talented runners, including Cliodhna O’Malley of Windham, the 2025 runner-up to White and runner-up at the 2026 Mid-Winter Classic 10 Miler. She won the Valor Twilight 5K recently (17:11). Karley Piers of Falmouth won the 2026 Mid-Winter Classic 14 seconds ahead of O’Malley and was the runner-up at the Sugarloaf 15K in May. She was the fifth Maine woman finisher at the 2025 TD Beach to Beacon 10K. Bethanie Brown of Waterville, a 17-time state champion at Waterville High School (Class of 2013), earned All-Big 12 Cross Country honors running for Iowa State. She finished third among Maine women in Cape Elizabeth in 2025 and recently finished second to O’Malley at the Valor Twilight 5K (17:14). Veronica Graziano of Falmouth, the 2024 Maine champion, also enters the race as a contender after winning the L.L. Bean 10K on July 4 in 36:49, finishing 42 seconds ahead of Brown.
Other Maine women to watch include Heather Gallant of Wayne who is, at 45, the oldest of the top Maine women but is one to watch. She nearly cracked the top five Maine women last year and was the top Masters woman finisher at the 2025 TD Beach to Beacon. Gallant was also the top Maine Masters finisher in 2025. She won the Sugarloaf 15K in May, edging out Piers. A newcomer on the scene, Maya Barrett-Tzannes of Portland has had some solid results this year, including third place finishes at the Valor Twilight 5K and the Mid-Winter Classic 10 Miler.
The men’s Maine field is strong, with several contenders vying for the top spot. The favorites include Will Geoghegan and Alec Troxell, both of Portland. Geoghegan is a former professional runner for Nike with multiple D1 All-American awards at Dartmouth and Oregon. He was the 2014 Maine Champion at the TD Beach to Beacon, finishing 5th last year, returning to competitive running after a five-year break. He won the Valor Twilight 5K recently (14:02). Troxell won the Mid Winter Classic, breaking a long-standing course record with a time of 48:42. He made his marathon debut in March with a time of 2:14, which qualifies him for the 2028 Olympic Trials. He was the 4th Maine finisher at TD Beach to Beacon last year and finished 2nd to Geoghegan at the Valor Twilight 5K (14:04).
Colink Cernik and Aaron Willingham, also of Portland, are in the title hunt as well. Cernik was the Maine runner up at last year’s TD Beach to Beacon and also broke the Mid Winter Classic course record with his 3rd place finish (49:27). He also qualified for the 2028 Olympic Trials with his March marathon time of 2:15, and broke the course record at last fall’s Maine Half Marathon (1:04:39). Willingham has had strong showings at the TD Beach to Beacon, finishing 3rd among Maine men in 2025 and 4th in 2023. He was 2nd at the Mid Winter Classic, beating the old course record with his time of 49:06.
Two-time defending Maine men’s champion, Luke Marsanskis of Cumberland, is returning this year after recovering from a long-term injury over the winter and spring. Marsanskis’s PB in the 10K is 28:56.
The TD Beach to Beacon 10K begins near the Crescent Beach State Park entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth and winds along tree-lined roads and past dramatic ocean vistas before ending 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park near Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in America.
For additional information about the race, visit www.beach2beacon.org and find the TD Beach to Beacon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.