The annual Beach to Beacon road race would not be possible without the help from hundreds and hundreds of volunteers. Local folks donate their time to aid in many different ways with any of the many different tasks that need to be performed in order to make the race the success that it is. Some of those who volunteer choose to open up their homes to the international runners who make their way to Maine each August and they act as host families to these elite athletes.

According to the Beach to Beacon organizers: “The home stays serve as a sort of cultural exchange for the athletes and the host families as they swap recipes and stories. Each year, more and more families from around the area are getting involved.”

There are a number of reasons why locals choose to help out in this way.

“This was our 10th year as hosts (for the Beach to Beacon),” said Cape Elizabeth resident Beth Barton. “We got involved because we have a few runners in the family. We also know Joanie (Benoit Samuelson) and thought it would be a fun thing to try.”

The Bartons have discovered over the years that hosting an international runner can be rewarding without being overly stressful.

“The runners don’t usually arrive until Thursday and often leave by Sunday morning. The commitment is only for a couple days, so it’s pretty easy,” added Barton. “And we have met lots of nice interesting people. We’ve hosted runners from Kenya, Russia, Japan, Morocco and the United States.”

These athletes don’t spend their entire day training for the race, so the host family generally acts as a tour guide during the off hours prior to the race.

“We have taken some of the athletes to the ocean, sailing and fishing. They all have their own schedules and require very little from the hosts. We offer to do things with them and leave it up to them,” Barton noted. “(One year) our Japanese runner wanted us to take her shopping at the Maine Mall and loved it. This was funny for us because we aren’t big shoppers and don’t go to the mall much.”

Not every family has a spare bedroom, so normal sleeping arrangements sometimes get shifted around. “We move one of the kids out of his bedroom for the runner and we try to keep the house relatively quiet before the race,” said Barton. “The runners often run early or late because of time changes and take a nap during the day.”

And asking what the athlete would like to eat is as important as knowing how they’d like to spend their down time. “We usually ask the athlete what they prefer to eat when they arrive. They don’t eat much and sometimes like to help prepare a meal from their country,” said Barton. “One year we got together with other families who were also hosting Kenyan runners and they cooked us their traditional dinner, which was fun.”

Occasionally, these visiting athletes will stay in touch with their host families after they leave Maine and move on to other races. “We have corresponded with a few of the runners,” said Barton. “One of the Kenyans, Paul Keoch, called us after placing second in the Chicago Marathon. He knew we were planning to follow his results.”

Barton’s husband Muzzy and their two children, Matthew and Kate, all run the race as well.

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