FORT WILLIAMS – There was one word that every one of the 6,177 TD Beach to Beacon participants uttered en masse as they crossed the finish line at Fort Williams Saturday hot.

With temperatures in the 70s, the humidity oppressive and absolutely no wind to speak of, even an early 8 a.m. start couldn’t stave off the tough elements for the runners in the 15th annual event. The water stations along the route were popular destinations throughout the race, as were the medical and food tents afterwards.

For runners wanting the sun but not the heat that went along with it, it was a tough 6.2 miles.

“One of the things I do to get ready is I look at the weather report about a week ahead of time and I get nervous about the humidity, and it came true,” said Cape resident Pete Bottomley, who crossed the finish line in exactly 35 minutes. “It makes it impossible to cool off.”

Tom Hathaway of Scarborough, like Bottomley one of the elite-class runners, agreed, saying this was probably the most difficult of the 10 Beach to Beacons he’s run in.

“It was probably the most humid I’ve ever seen it in the Beach to Beacon, and it seems to be humid and hot and sunny every year,” he said. “I thought last year was bad but this year was a lot worse.”

Though the conditions were tough, it didn’t stop the professional runners at the front of the field from battling it out for the $10,000 first-place prize. Stanley Biwoot of Kenya pulled away from fellow Kenyans Stephen Kipkosgei-Kibet and Silas Kipruto in the last two miles to win the men’s race in 27:59, two seconds ahead of Kipkosgei-Kibet.

The woman’s race was won in slightly bizarre fashion by Kenya’s Margaret Wangari-Muriuki, who made things dramatic when, entirely exhausted, she stopped just feet before the finish, not seeing two volunteers holding a break tape on the line.

Realizing her mistake, Wangari-Muriuki summoned the energy to jump the last two steps and cross the line with a time of 31:51:4, just six-tenths of a second ahead of her countrywoman Emily Chebet.

As far as the locals go, Ethan Shaw of Falmouth was the first Maine male finisher, with a time of 30:38, while Sheri Piers, also of Falmouth, was the first Maine woman in 34:24.

Erica Jesseman of Scarborough was second behind Piers for the second year in a row with a time of 35:44. She said the spectacle of the event and the boost runners can from the huge crowds helped offset the cruel conditions.

“It was so hot and humid, the last mile was the toughest because your legs are just dead,” Jesseman said. “I stopped at almost every single water stop and poured some water on me and drank.”

“But there’s so many people out there who are supporting you and screaming and it’s just wonderful to have that. I feel very blessed to be in Maine, to race in Maine and have so many friends and people out there just cheering you on. It’s just awesome.”

While the elite runners crossed the finish line in and around the half-hour mark, the majority of the field was left the slog the 6.2 miles for a little longer. Not that spending as much time as possible on the scenic course, which starts at Crescent Beach and ends at Portland Head Light, is too much of a chore.

For Lauren Saunders of Gorham, who completed her first-ever 10K Saturday, it was the massive and enthusiastic crowd that helped her through the heat.

“The crowd was huge, and that made a huge difference in the race in just keeping me going at times when I was thinking of stopping or walking,” Saunders said. “I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m going to walk with them cheering me.’

“It’s pretty amazing to work and train and then be able to do something like this is such an amazing experience. It’s quite a rush.”

Like Saunders, many of the runners had been preparing for the biggest race in Maine for months in hopes of personal bests, or just being able to finish. Not so for Lew Emery of Westbrook, who decided he’d run in the race just three days before with an extra bib his son had registered.

Usually Emery comes to the race to watch his four sons compete, and he said the only thing more exciting than standing at the finish line in the crowd was running through them as a participant.

“It’s always exciting coming down that last 100 yards or so, you don’t feel like your trudging anymore,” he said. “There’s a couple hundred yards near the end that are uphill and you’re thinking, what am I doing here? And then you go down that last stretch and it gets the adrenaline going again.”

The prestige of the event is what drew Katelyn Michaud of Gorham to the race for the first time. A triathlete who has also participated in Ironmans, it was Michaud’s first try at a 10K, which she called “a great experience.”

“It’s definitely a great race,” Michaud said. “You have a good mix of people, between solid runners, marathon runners, fast runners and then the everyday kind of runner and walkers as well. So it’s nice just to see a lot of people get out there and be active.”

In that field of more than 6,000 runners of all different types, spotting a specific person isn’t an easy task. That wasn’t a problem for Emma Inhorn and her fellow Cape Elizabeth High cross country runners, who dressed up like Minnie Mouse to kick off their season with a bit of team bonding.

“It’s a really great feeling,” Inhorn said of being able to run in such a big race in her hometown. “Even if your not feeling good, like I wasn’t feeling well, but there’s so many people cheering you and saying ‘Go Minnie.’”

Along with the heat, the chance to compete in a world-class event right here in Maine was another subject every runner was eager to talk about after crossing the finish line. Emery was able sum it all up into one word.

“To have this here in Maine, it’s electric, that’s the word I’ve always used to describe it,” he said. “This is the run that everybody wants to be in.”

Ready to race, Alecia Jack of Standish, Laura McLean of Cape Elizabeth and Rebecca Leaming of Portland (from left) prepare to board a shuttle bus for the ride to the start line.
Sheri Piers of Falmouth, the top Maine female finisher in the race.
Erica Jesseman, former Scarborough HS standout, on her way through Cape Elizabeth, the second Maine woman finisher.
Silas Kipruto (11) from Kenya leads the field up Rt. 77. Eventual winner Stanley Biwott (5) of Kenya is right behind him.
The Cape Elizabeth and South Portland fire departments combined to hang a huge American flag over Rt. 77 for the runners to pass under.