This year, the women are on their own in B2B

CAPE ELIZABETH — Mary Keitany is expected to run away from her competition Saturday at the 19th TD Beach to Beacon 10K.

If she does, she’ll be running completely solo. For the first time, the elite women will start B2B first, going off at 8 a.m., 12 minutes ahead of the rest of the pack.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WEATHER

Race director Dave McGillivray is aware of potentially foul weather and met with other organizers Friday afternoon to discuss the forecast and contingency plans.

“The good news is that if there was severe weather at the start, at least the majority people have their cars parked at the start,” he said. “They can retreat back to their own vehicles until such time that we felt it was safe to begin the race. Whereas other races, we bus everyone out to the start, so if all of a sudden there’s severe weather and there’s no cover, then you’re obviously a little bit at risk.”

A thunderstorm after the race starts would be more problematic.

“If 20 minutes into the race, you’ve got lightning and you’ve got 6,000 people out on the course, what do you do with them? In some of these discussions, I’ve learned it can be safer just to let them continue to get to shelter at the finish versus trying to shelter them along the course, where there’s no shelter.”

McGillivray has directed more than a thousand events. To date, none has been delayed at the start because of thunder or lightning.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” he said with a laugh. “There’s been severe rain, but never really lightning or thunder that would cause us to cancel or delay.”

– Glenn Jordan

Keitany won the New York City (2014 and 2015) and London (2011, 2012) marathons with what she termed “ladies only” starts but prefers to run with the men.

“For me, I like when we are starting at the same time (as the men),” Keitany said.

Last Saturday, Keitany won the Quad-City Times Bix 7 in a course-record time of 35 minutes, 18 seconds over seven miles in Davenport, Iowa. She beat Caroline Chepkoech, 22, of Kenya by two seconds. The previous record was 35:24.

“So (Beach to Beacon is seven) days later and that’s OK. I hope to run a good time Saturday,” Keitany said. “After the start you have to feel your body and if it’s OK, if it’s fine, you move as well as you can. So there is no sense in putting high pressure to yourself.”

Chepkoech and defending champion Wude Ayalew, 29, of Ethiopia figure to be Keitany’s top challengers for the $10,000 winner’s prize. Two elite women previously announced as attending have dropped out: Ethiopian marathoner Berhane Dibaba and 2013 B2B winner Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya.

Defending American champion Alexi Pappas, fifth overall in 2015, is using her dual citizenship to compete for Greece in the Olympics. Other top Americans like Molly Huddle and Shalane Flanagan (second at B2B in 2014) are also in Brazil representing the United States.

That opens the door for first-time Beach to Beacon entrants to take a run at the top American prize of $5,000, including Emily Sisson (Providence College), 16-time All-American Jordan Hasay (Oregon), 2014 NCAA 10,000-meter champ Emma Bates (Boise State) and Elaina Balouris (William & Mary). Bates and Balouris are now Boston Athletic Association teammates.

Hasay and Sisson were ninth and 10th in the 10,000 at the Olympic trials.

“Mentally I bounced back pretty quickly (from the trials) just because the road season is my favorite season,” Sisson said. “I was just like, I’m going to bury myself in a bunch of road races.”

Bates finished 21st in the 10,000 trials. Beach to Beacon is just the second career road race for the native of the Elk River, Minnesota.

The Maine women’s race is likely to come down to Erica Jesseman, 27, of Scarborough, and Michelle Lilienthal, 34, of Portland. Jesseman was the fastest Mainer in 2013 and 2015. Lilienthal holds the Maine record of 33:39, set in 2014.

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Beach to Beacon 2016