CAPE ELIZABETH – At the ripe age of 41, Edith Masai mastered her younger competitors at Saturday’s TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K road race.

The Kenyan showed that her victory at last weekend’s Bix 7-miler in Iowa was no fluke, taking an early lead and breaking the tape at Fort Williams in 31 minutes, 55 seconds for her first career Beach to Beacon victory, establishing a Masters (ages 40-49) course record in the process and becoming the oldest runner to ever win the race.

Lyudmila Biktasheva of Russia finished second in 32:03, Japan’s Yuri Kano took third in 32:17, Marina Ivanova of Russia fourth (32:46) and Jane Gakunyi of Kenya fifth in 32:59.

Ed Muge of Kenya outkicked Terefe Maregu Zewdie of Ethiopia for the second time in as many weeks, leading the record-breaking field of 5,258 runners in 27:52 to Zewdie’s 27:53.

Kiplomo Kimutai of Kenya finished third in 27:58, defending champ Duncan Kibet, also of Kenya, was fourth in 28:21 and Boaz Cheboiywo of Kenya earned fifth (28:24).

Ben True of North Yarmouth, who won the Maine men’s division, was the first American finisher in 11th place.

The race featured runners from 14 countries and 41 states.

Masai won the women’s race in dominating fashion, proving for the second consecutive week that she can still put up some speedy times even at age 41.

“I’m excited. It’s nice because I won again today,” she said. “That course is not easy, it’s very challenging for me.”

With about 7,000 meters to go, Biktasheva and Kano started to creep closer, and Masai took advantage of the fact that some of the men’s competitors were right in front of her to push the pace even harder.

“The guys in front of me, I tried to chase them. After seven kilometers I saw those ladies, so I tried to run faster to improve position,” Masai said.

Coming around the corner heading into Fort Williams, she caught a small glimpse of Bikatsheva and turned on the jets one more time.

“I saw [Bikatsheva] get stronger, then I tried to push hard, so I tried to kick from there to the finish,” Masai said.

Any advice for other runners her age?

“I’d tell them that age is a number, they can run well, train well and they can do it,” said Masai.

Just before being interviewed by the media, Masai chatted nicely with some Cape Elizabeth residents, received an invite to watch their children run in the children’s race, to which she promptly smiled and said, “They’re nice people.”

She and all the other runners were treated to a spectacular photo of race founder Joan Benoit Samuelson on the Portland Head Light at the finish.

The photo of Samuelson running in last year’s Beach to Beacon is the same one that hung at Macy’s in Boston during the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in April.

The pack was much tighter on the men’s side, with Kimutai pushing the pace early in the race and leading the pack through a 4:12 first mile.

But it would ultimately come down to the kick of Muge vs. the strength of Zewdie, the world’s top-ranked road racer, and speed wound up prevailing.

“Yes I thought I had the better kick,” said Muge.

He trailed Zewdie twice after entering Fort Williams but made his final move just before the finish.

A fast start was no surprise on a perfect day for running weather-wise, with temperatures hovering in the 60s.

“It was very quick, feeling pretty nice,” Muge said of the fleet start.

In the seniors division, Norm Larson of Burlington, Vt., took home first-place honors in 33:51, just over a minute quicker than runner-up Tom Ryan of Cape Elizabeth’s 35:03.

David Cannon of Seattle took third in 35:37, Stephen Chantry of Williamsburg, Va., fourth in 36:17 and Kevin McMahon of Essex Junction, Vt., fifth in 36:29.

North Yarmouth’s Ellie Tucker won the women’s title in 41:26 with Sharon Vos of Riverside, Conn., taking second in 42:07.

Annee Kilgore of Salt Lake City was third in 44:18, Julie Brown of Millinocket fourth in 44:57 and Maryellen Borge of Gloucester, Mass., rounded out the top five (45:38).

“It was a fabulous race day and a great race,” said Larry Wold, president of TD Banknorth in Maine, after finishing his 11th straight Beach to Beacon in 40:27 to place in the top 300. “This race really epitomizes what can be accomplished when a community joins together – all the runners, the volunteers, the sponsors, the spectators – toward a common goal. We are so pleased to be a part of this special event.”

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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