More Than 1,200 Competitors Participate in Branford Father’s Day Road Race
After being contested virtually last year, the Branford Road Race returned to being held as an in-person event this year. More than 1,200 runners and walkers participated in the 41st annual Father’s Day event on June 20.
This year, there were two separate 5K races that replaced the traditional five-mile run. Each participant was allowed to choose either one of the 5K runs, a two-mile walk, or the kids’ half-mile fun run.
Sean O’Connor of Salt Lake City, Utah finished in first place overall for the 5K by running a time of 14 minutes and 59 seconds. Christopher Helminski of Mystic came in second place with a time of 15:31.
Lindsay Crevoiserat, the head coach of the UConn women’s cross country team, finished first for the women’s 5K competition by timing in with a mark of 16:47. Sara Caitrin Mandelburg of Hartford took second place with a time of 16:51.
The Branford Road Race annually supports local non-profit and community organizations through monetary donations. In 2021, proceeds from the race are supporting Camp Rising Sun, Notre Dame High School, and the American Parkinson Disease Association.
In addition to transitioning back to an in-person event, the Branford Road Race also saw a change in location this year. Typically, the race would be held on the Branford Green. However, in order to maximize social distancing efforts, the start and finish lines of this year’s race were moved to Walsh Intermediate School.
Even with a new location, race founder Ray Figlewski said that there was plenty of excitement in the air when the event was held live under sunny skies.
“You could feel the enthusiasm of the participants. For many, it was the first race back in-person. The excitement was palpable,” said Figlewski. “It didn’t hurt we also had a beautiful, sunny, day.”
The post-race party also had a different look this year as all food and drink was pre-packaged in a grab-and-go format. Stony Creek Brewery hosted the post-race celebration.
The sponsors of the 2021 Branford Road Race included Medtronic, H.D. Segur Insurance, Connecticut Orthopaedics, Stony Creek Brewery, soundRUNNER, Notre Dame High School, TYCO Print, 99.1PLR, and The Sound.