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06/18/2020 12:00 AMIn 1979, Branford resident Ray Figlewski realized that there were no road races in his local area. Not only did he set out to create one, Ray wanted to give the town of Branford “the best race you could find in the state.” Ray went on to found the Branford Road Race and has helped keep the event running every year since then. He’s proud that the race is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Ray felt that the Branford Road Race would be a great way to give back to his community, while also providing people from the area with an event to look forward to each year. Ray has been battling a health challenge for the past 15 years. He says the Branford Road Race keeps him grounded and gives him an opportunity to always look forward to the future.
“The road race has been a part of my life for so long, I couldn’t even think of being around without it. I have Parkinson’s disease, but I said, ‘They’re going to have to drag me out. I’m not going to let this disease stop me from doing what I do,’” Ray says. “I was thinking about if I left, who would do what I do? Who would make sure the food is right and everything is the way I want it? It’s been really good for me. It’s an honor.”
The Branford Road Race will be contested virtually due to COVID-19 this year. The event is taking place on Father’s Day weekend, which runs from Thursday, June 18 to Monday, June 22. Entrants will be able to take part in a five-mile run, a two-mile health walk, or a family fun run. Participants will determine when and where they want to complete their race and then send in their results. Ray says there are about 800 people scheduled to participate in the event.
John Bysiewicz has been the race director of the Branford Road Race for more than 20 years. He works closely with Ray to make sure the event runs smoothly every year. Although this year’s race is taking on a different shape, Bysiewicz says that Ray’s passion is as strong as it’s even been.
“Ray is a hard worker. Ray is always out there first thing in the morning. It’s a yearlong process to put on the event. He is a tireless worker and really cares. He spends a lot of time going over the details,” says Bysiewicz. “After all these years, Ray cares about it just as much now as he did when he started it. He wants it to be as good as possible and be a positive experience for the community. That’s always been his goal. He wants the community to be proud and the runners to have fun.”
This year’s race will support the Branford Food Pantry and Community Dining Room. With the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, Ray felt it was important for the event to benefit people in the community who are in need.
“People will say that Branford is a very wealthy town, but in reality, there are a lot of people that are struggling,” Ray says. “Those two organizations are working harder than ever.”
Ray has lived in Branford for the past 45 years. He says that giving back to his town and the neighboring communities is one of the main reasons why he stays involved with the race each year. Ray and Bysiewicz both enjoy organizing an event that thousands of people circle on their calendars.
“If you’ve ever been to the race, we usually have 2,500 participants and 5,000 spectators. Because it is Father’s Day, there’s normally whole families coming out. It’s something the whole community gets behind,” Bysiewicz says. “It’s always been a special event. I live in Branford, and it’s something I’m extremely proud of. My entire family runs. My wife has probably run the race close to 30 years now. It’s an event that has become the fabric of what a lot of people do on Father’s Day weekend.”
Ray knew back in early March that this year’s road race wouldn’t be happening in its normal format. Ray and his colleagues weighed their options, from postponing the race to canceling it outright. However, Ray knew that the Branford Food Pantry and Community Dining Room needed support, so he wanted to give his best effort to make sure that both organizations received the support they needed.
It means a lot to Ray that the Branford Road Race is going to be held for the 40th time this year. As he looks to the future, Ray wants the race to keep going strong and see everyone get back out there and running as a group next year.
“What I miss is seeing all the people. I am looking forward to seeing them next year,” says Ray. “Hopefully, we can go back to normal—get all our sponsors involved again, have all our runners involved again and, hopefully, have the best race we can next year.”