New Mexico’s Newest Pros Just Took Over A Maine Classic

The University of New Mexico owned the roads of Maine on Saturday. At the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, the race Joan Benoit Samuelson founded in 1998, two Lobos took the top prizes: Habtom Samuel powered up the course’s brutal closing hill to win the men’s race in 27:40, and 22-year-old Pamela Kosgei held off American favorite Elise Cranny by two seconds to win the women’s race on her road-racing debut. Each earned $10,000.

Samuel Confirms His Move To The Pros

Samuel’s win reads like a natural next step. The Eritrean has been one of the most dominant collegiate distance runners in recent memory, a five-time NCAA champion for New Mexico who went undefeated against college runners this past season and owns the three fastest 5,000m times in NCAA outdoor history. He broke through for the NCAA cross country title in the fall, then announced a sensational road debut in January, winning the Aramco Houston Half Marathon in a course-record 59:01. Last month he turned professional, skipping his final year of college eligibility.

Beach to Beacon was an emphatic early statement in that new chapter. The course is famous for its grinding late-race incline, exactly the sort of terrain that suits a runner with Samuel’s strength, and he leaned into it, surging clear over the final stretch to win comfortably in 27:40. Kenya’s Patrick Kiprop was second in 27:48, with fellow Kenyan Raphael Lekini Dapash third in 28:03. Britain’s Patrick Dever (28:05) and American Biya Simbassa (28:11) rounded out the top five.

Kosgei’s Fearless Debut

The women’s race was the tighter of the two, and arguably the better story. Kosgei, a multiple national champion for New Mexico, had never raced on the roads before, and it showed only in the best way. She and Cranny ran shoulder to shoulder up the closing hills, Cranny chasing history as she tried to become the first American woman to win the event. Kosgei made her decisive move entering Fort Williams Park and then withstood Cranny’s furious kick to the line, winning 31:50 to 31:52.

“I’m feeling so good, and I’m proud for myself,” Kosgei told the Portland Press Herald. “Because this is my first 10K, I don’t have any tactics for road races, so I just did my best to see what would happen.” American Molly Born, fourth here in 2025, moved up to third this year in 32:14.

Top 15 — Women

1. Pamela Kosgei — 31:50
2. Elise Cranny — 31:52
3. Molly Born — 32:14
4. Annie Rodenfels — 32:19
5. Wuga He — 32:20
6. Megan Sailor — 32:27
7. Vicoty Chepngeno — 32:28
8. Dakotah Popehn — 32:37
9. Allie Buchalski — 32:40
10. Julia Paternain — 32:57
11. Elena Hayday — 33:16
12. Micaela Rivera Wood — 33:28
13. Jacqueline Gaughan — 33:36
14. Anna Oeser — 33:38
15. Kellyn Taylor — 33:54

Top 15 — Men

1. Habtom Samuel — 27:40
2. Patrick Kiprop — 27:48
3. Raphael Lekini Dapash — 28:03
4. Patrick Dever — 28:05
5. Biya Simbassa — 28:11
6. Kieran Tuntivate — 28:12
7. Joe Klecker — 28:14
8. Andrew Colley — 28:16
9. Pasanjo Kitonga — 28:27
10. Reid Buchanan — 28:29
11. Alex Maier — 28:32
12. Itta Tameike — 28:37
13. Derek Amicon — 28:43
14. Robert Miranda — 28:49
15. Barry Keane — 29:09