Cape Elizabeth, Maine - After a thunderstorm with lightning boomed through the greater Portland area last night, forcing the cancellation of the TD B2B Kids Fun Run and high school miles, the lightning bolt on today's 25th anniversary TD Beach To Beacon 10K came via 20 year old Ethiopian Yihune Addisu, who was running in his first ever road race.
The 2022 Under-20 world champion over 5000m had taken the lead as the course turned onto Shore Road for the final two-plus miles into Fort Williams Park. In close formation behind were #8, Muktar Edris, the two time 5000m world champion of Ethiopia, #1 Edwin Kurgat of Kenya, the 2019 NCAA Cross Country champion out of Iowa State; last weekend's QCT Bix 7 champion Biya Simbassa of Flagstaff; and former BYU standout Conner Mantz, #6.
The press truck pulled away at five miles, 23:34, with the race still up for grabs.
when the leader emerged from the twisty stretch of narrow road through the fort. It was the young Ethiopian who had a winning margin over blue-clad Conner Mantz, 27;56 to 28:58, with Muktar Edris a spent third in 28:06.
Just steps after finishing, Mantz remarked as much to himself as to anyone listening, "he cut me off twice in the final 400, the second time with less than 200m to go and I couldn't recover in time."
Asked whether it cost him the race, Mantz said he thought it probably did. "But I don't want to be a dirtbag about it and complain."
It wouldn't make any difference if he did, since there were no cameras or spectators to record the incident. In the end Mantz had to settle for second and the understanding he. Oils mix it up with the big boys as he preps for a fall marathon in Chicago in October.
The women's race boiled down to a two person tussle between 2023 Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya and Ethiopian Fotyen Tesfay, 25, fifth place finisher at this year's World Cross Country Championships.
Two time world champion and twice Olympic silver medalist Obiri edged the young Ethiopian by a single second, 31:37 to 31:38. Virginia's Keira D'Amato finished third in 31:58 as she finalizes her preparations for the World Championships Marayhon in Budapest in a few weeks.
The 25th anniversary TD B2B sold out its 8200 bibs, and added a beer garden at the finish sponsored by Shipyard.
Race founder Joan Ssmuelskn ran the race with fellow Olympic Marathon medalists, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya and Deena Kastor.
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