Retired astronaut Suni Williams runs Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine

NASA veteran astronaut Suni Williams, 60, has retired and moved to Maine. After a nine‑month stay aboard the International Space Station that gave her a total of 608 days in orbit – the second‑most for any NASA astronaut – she is set to join thousands of runners in the Beach to Beacon 10K on Saturday. Williams will wear bib number 608, symbolising her time in space, and will race from Cape Elizabeth’s Crescent Beach to the Portland Head Light.

Williams, who holds the record for the most spacewalk time by a woman (62 hours 6 minutes over nine EVAs), said the race offers a new perspective after years of training in microgravity. She noted, “You just have to look at the thing you’re doing from a different perspective, and new opportunities opened.” Her sister, Dina Pandya, who helps organize the Falmouth Road Race, will be watching the event, recalling how Mission Control kept Williams updated during her 2007 space marathon.

The race director, Dave McGillivray, highlighted Williams’ participation as a unique blend of space history and local community spirit.