CAPE ELIZABETH – A pair of first-time entrants tasted the fruits of victory Saturday. Fellow Kenyans Stanley Biwott and Margaret Wangari-Muriuki captured the top honors at the 15th TD Beach To Beacon 10K Road Race in sweltering conditions.

Biwott, four months removed from setting the record for the Paris Marathon, held off fellow countryman and sponsor teammate Stephen Kipkosgei-Kibet to win the men’s elite race. Biwott’s winning time of 27:59.3 was just over two seconds faster than Kipkosgei-Kibet.

Wangari-Miruki crossed the finish line in 31:51.6 to finish a half second faster than Emily Chebet, also of Kenya.

Ethan Shaw of Falmouth was the first man from Maine to finish, completing the course in a time of 30:37.9 while Falmouth’s Sheri Piers turned in the top performance (34:21.9) for the fourth consecutive year.

Biwott and 12 others immediately broke into a lead pack from the start, with Sean Quigley being the lone American to run with the leaders early on. At about six minutes into the race, Quigley fell from the pack with Kenya’s Silas Kipruto pushing to the front.

“It was good,” said Biwott of Kipruto’s pace. “He set a good pace and I kept on pushing.”

While some of the runners used their elbows and shoulders to free themselves from being bottled up in the middle of the pack, Biwotts stayed clear of the physical jostling.

As the race entered the 5K split and the runners turned down Cape’s Shore Road, it was Kipruto, Kipkosgei-Kibet and Biwott stretching away from the pack. Moments later, Kipruto hit the “runner’s wall” as the duo raced on as a pair. When Kipkosgei-Kibet found himself in the middle of the road and not close enough to the edge to grasp a cup of water, he borrowed some from Biwott.

“Stephen asked me for some water,” said Biwott. “So I gave him some.”

Biwott, a half marathon and marathon specialist had more endurance in his kick and held off his teammate for the victory. Kenya’s Lucas Kimeli Rotich came in third.

In the women’s race, Wangari-Muriuki found herself in an uncomfortable position, out in front of a six racer pack near the midpoint of the race.

“I’m not a front runner,” said the cross country specialist. “I like to run second. I was trying to give up the lead. I’d slow down to let them get in front of me, but they wouldn’t go.”

As she kicked toward the finish line, Wangari-Muriuki exhausted what energy she had left before collapsing as she crossed. Fortunately, her momentum was forward and she narrowly escaped with the win over the hard-charging Chebet.

“I just gave (it) up at the end,” said Wangari-Muriuki. “It was very hard. I gave everything I had.”

Shaw’s win came after a few entries in previous years.

“I’ve been fourth or fifth,” said the 22 year old, “but back then I was focusing on preparing for the fall (cross country season). It was warm and humid, but there was a nice breeze in the second half of the race when you’re starting to break down.”

Shaw held off Jonny Wilson of Falmouth. Wilson also had a hand in the performance of Piers in the women’s race.

While Piers was happy with her fourth straight win, she fell five seconds off her goal for the event.

“I ran a little harder than I expected in the first mile,” said the 41-year old Piers. “I started out too fast and knew it would catch up with me in the last mile, and it did. I was a little too close to the front (at the start). I looked behind me and I saw Jonny. You get tangled if you don’t go out to the front.”

[email protected]