Media outlets report on Orach’s exciting Beach to Beacon finish

A number of media outlets, including the Portland Press Herald, covered Jesse Orach and Rob Gomez’s dramatic finish at the TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K race Saturday. Orach, who had a stellar academic, track and cross-country career at the University of Maine and was highlighted in the inaugural Black Bear Nation athletics magazine, won the B2B Maine men’s race in 2016, the first time he ever ran it. This year, Orach surged to a lead then twice collapsed near the finish line due to heat stroke. Instead of running past Orach to collect the $1,000 prize as the top male finisher, Gomez​ lifted Orach to his feet​ and held him up the last 50 or so meters before pushing him across the finish line. “It wouldn’t have felt right for me to go past him and win that,” said Gomez. “It wasn’t because I’m some sort of hero or some sort of special person, because I’m not. As runners, we understand, we pick each other up and help each other.” Orach said, “I’m speechless with what he did. Him and I were kind of vying for that number one Mainer spot, and for him to give that up for me is pretty remarkable.” He’ll ask race officials to split the first- and second-place prize money evenly. Other outlets that covered the race included WCSH6,​ Fox 8 and the Bangor Daily News​.​