CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Gilbert Okari became the first repeat champion in the men's race and Susan Chepkemei narrowly missed the course record in dominating the women's field in the seventh edition of the Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race.

Okari, a long-legged Kenyan (27:35), broke away with less than 200 meters remaining, sprinting to the finish of the winding 6.2-mile course to top the fastest men's field the race has ever seen. Thomas Kiplitan of Kenya (27:39), currently ranked 5th in the world, finished second and Robert Cheryiout of Kenya (27:48), the 2003 Boston Marathon champ, came in third. Kenyan Wilson Kiprotich's fourth-place time of 27:53 meant four runners ran sub-28:00, another first.

In the women's race, Susan Chepkemei (31:35) not only spoiled fellow Kenyan Catherine Ndereba's bid for a sixth title, she almost broke Ndereba's course record, missing by one second. Japan's Masako Chiba (31:51) took second while Alvetina Ivanova of Russia (31:56) finished third. Ndereba, who will be one of the favorites in the marathon at the Olympics in Athens later this month, never contended and finished fifth (32:31).

In the Maine races, Ethan Hemphill, 32, of Freeport (31:45) held off a challenge from Evan Graves, 22 of Bar Harbor (31:49) to win his first Peoples Beach to Beacon crown. Michael Payson, 41, of Falmouth, finished third (31:53), but his time placed him first in the Master's category.
Susannah Beck, 36, an elite-caliber athlete who recently re-located to her native Yarmouth, Maine, dominated the Maine women's field with a 35:22, more than a minute ahead of runner-up Emily Levan, 31, of Wiscasset (36:43). Last year's champion, Maggie Hanson, 24, of Bowdoinham, finished third (36:51).

Sunday's race along the coast in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, again featured the top elite runners in the world as well as a field of 5,000 runners from 39 states and 14 countries. Sporadic rainfall before and, for the first-time ever, during the race did not dampen the enthusiasm of the 10,000 or so spectators who lined the course to cheer on the runners.

"This was another amazing day, an amazing race," said Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race founder and Maine's most recognizable athlete who 20 years ago this month won the first women's Olympic marathon. "These tremendous athletes, along with the contributions of all the volunteers, the town of Cape Elizabeth and the lead sponsor, Peoples Heritage Bank, makes this such an inspirational event year in and year out."

The selection of Riding To The Top (RTT) as the race beneficiary added another layer of inspiration to the event this year. RTT provides therapeutic horseback riding services to children with physical, emotional and/or learning disabilities. RTT's selection prompted a number of top disabled athletes, including Paralympian Chris Waddell, to participate in the wheelchair portion of the race.

This year's race marked the first to occur on a Sunday, breaking from the traditional first Saturday in August, which will return in 2005. Also, elite athletes competed for any even bigger prize as the award for first place increased from $7,500 to $10,000 this year.

Perhaps the promise of a bigger payday prompted a tight group of eight athletes, including six Kenyans, to jump from the gate, setting a blistering early pace in damp conditions. The lead pack eventually dwindled to four, with Khalid Khannouchi, the American marathon record holder, and others unable to keep pace. Okari and Cheryiout remained the aggressors, while Kiplitan also took a turn with the lead. The race wasn't decided until the final 200 meters, when the tall, slender Okari stretched his long legs and broke for the tape.

In the first six years of the race, only three men, including Okari, broke the 28:00 barrier. In Sunday's race, four men accomplished the feat. In fact, Okari winning time is the fastest 10K time in the world so far in 2004. (His course-record setting time of 27:28 was the world's fastest 10K in 2003.)

In the women's elite race, Chepkemei quickly showed the field why she is considered the hottest runner in road racing right now. She allowed Chiba and Ivanova to run with her for awhile, as the trio quickly separated from the pack, before deciding to take matters into her own hands. After setting a course record at the Bix 7-miler in Iowa, she came within a second of doing the same.

Other winners included: Masters Men: Michael Payson, 41, of Falmouth, Maine (31:54); Masters Women : Valentina Yegorova, 40, of Russia, the 1992 Olympic marathon champion (34:36); Wheelchair Division, Tony Nogueira, Glen Ridge, N.J., now a five-time champ (25:11) and Laurie Stephens of Wenham, Mass., also now a five-time champ (33:32).

A new record for participation was set with 4,354 runners finishing the race. And an estimated 10,000 spectators lined the picturesque course and gathered at the finish. A 1K "Young Peoples Run" for kids 12 and under also saw in excess 500 entrants.

Also, in the Corporate Challenge, pitting teams of athletes from a number of New England corporations and businesses, UnumProvident won first place in the mixed team division and the men's division, and Maine Medical Center won in the women's division for the third straight time.

Founded by Maine's largest bank, Peoples Heritage Bank, and Maine's most famous athlete, Joan Benoit Samuelson, the race benefits a different charity each year as part of the Peoples Shining the Light for Maine Youth program. Peoples, through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation, provided a cash donation of $30,000 to RTT.

The race course winds through the idyllic coastal town of Cape Elizabeth, starting near Crescent Beach State Park on Route 77 and ending at the Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

"We are just elated to see this kind of a field of top athletes, but also to see people from Maine and all over New England, the U.S., and the world come to Maine for this race," said Mike McNamara, president of Peoples Heritage Bank. The bank is also part of the Banknorth Group, which has banks in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and upstate New York.

The field again included Maine Gov. John Baldacci (59:21), who also ran in 2003, marking the first time a sitting Maine governor has participated. "This is Maine's signature event," Baldacci said after Sunday's race. "It's great for our communities and for the causes it benefits. And anything Joan Benoit Samuelson is involved in is a world-class event."