May 24, 2007
Bob on the Branford Road Race
By Bob Francis, Owner
soundRUNNER
In its 27th year, the Branford Road Race is established among the country’s finest road racing events. Back in the day, I traveled to as many of Runners World’s “Top 100” as I could make, and have reasonable bona fides not only for citing criteria for top ranking, but also for speaking to the qualities of the BRR. There are lots of very good area races, noteworthy among them the New Haven Road Race, the Fairfield Half, the Turkey Trot, and the Manchester Road Race. Along with Branford, these races share one or more common properties: longevity, a festive atmosphere, steady growth, runner friendliness, a challenging course, and tough competition.
With respect to age, the Branford Road Race has been around about as long as the average age of the field. On the order of ten years ago, the field passed the 1000 mark, giving the race a regional flavor, attracting not only day travelers from Boston to New York, but also runners born locally but relocated. At various times the race has been a state championship for the distance, pulling teams and regionally competitive runners to the starting line. Still other years, invited runners gave race watchers a chance to see internationally competitive athletes power into the home stretch on Montowese Avenue.
The BRR is wrapped in the holiday atmosphere of Fathers Day, and sandwiched by events during the Branford Festival. After runners get hosed down at the end of the race, they take their lunch tickets into a rich variety of food services dotting the village green next to the finish line. Later in the afternoon, live entertainment greets runners who made a day of it. By 2006, total participation in the five-mile race, two-mile walk, and one-mile kid’s run passed 2000, filling the center of Town all day long.
The course is challenging, especially when runners head up the hill out of Hotchkiss Grove at the halfway point. Good races offer strategic challenges and choices, and the BRR always offered me two. First, race day is usually the first warm and humid day of the year, so pacing is a problem from the start. Second, you have to decide whether to challenge the hill or give time back to the clock. Coming to the race from a spring racing season in New York, I was always humbled by the Branford course, having difficulty getting within a minute of times run just a few weeks earlier. And it was always hard to obtain an age group place at Branford to win one of the coveted long-sleeve shirts, of which I have only one in the closet after years of participation.
In recent years, with the opening of the store and the increasing depth of our sponsorship commitment, I have paid careful attention to the purpose of the race. The BRR has always had a family focus, this year supporting Connecticut’s soldiers serving on active duty in foreign theaters, the Nicole DeFilippo Scholarship Fund, and the Sandra Ciccone Scholarship Fund. The Nicole DeFilippo Scholarship Fund has been established to provide financial support to a graduating senior who is entering the special education field. Nicole passed suddenly on November 15, 2006 from Viral Myocarditis. She was a past participant in the Branford Road Race. Please join her family and friends to run/walk to honor her memory. The Sandra Ciccone Scholarship is a need based scholarship given to a Branford High School Senior who demonstrates academic achievement. Sandra, a frequent race participant, passed away seven years ago at age 22. Please join her family and friends to run/walk to honor her memory. Thank you for coming to Branford.
Archive of Bob’s Lane
Issue 1: May 1, 2007: Bob on the Bash
Issue 2: May 10, 2007: Bob on Dave Parcells
