Cape Elizabeth, ME. — The sport of road racing, especially here in New England where the tradition is so deeply-seated, has always been much more than simply a competition from Point A to Point B.  In the olden days before money and sponsors came into the sport at current levels road trips and shared housing was the standard.  Thus one of the throwback pleasures of Joanie Samuelson’s TD Beach to Beacon 10K in her hometown of Cape Elizabeth, Maine is the tradition of housing invited athletes and guests with local families. This was the 14^th  year that we have been lucky enough to return to the home of Bill and Linda Nickerson, who have become dear friends over those years, as have their children Julie and Geoff.   That feeling is universal among the professional athletes who cherish an invitation to this most quintessential of New England races.  Throughout the weekend the pre and post-race activities are a reflection of the family atmosphere Joanie has engendered.   The pictures below give a taste of the quality of what has made the New England running community so special through the years, and why an invite to the TD B2B is so highly prized.

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