400-mile run over 8 days starts Saturday in benefit for Community Action
Local runners, walkers welcome to join Brett Sobieraski at local high school tracks
Photos by Tom Rivers: Brett Sobieraski is shown this morning at the Albion High School track where he plans to run 55 miles or 220 laps on Saturday. He is joined by Renee Hungerford, left, and Jackie Dunham, two leaders of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. Sobieraski will conclude an 8-day fundraiser the following Saturday with 15 more miles around the Albion track.
ALBION – Brett Sobieraski has swum across Lake Ontario, completed 50 marathons every day for 50 days, and run 175 miles along the Erie Canal.
The Carlton resident has a new endurance challenge: running 400 miles over eight days – 55 miles each of the first seven days with a final 15 miles on day 8.
That new challenge starts on Saturday morning at the Albion High School track. Sobieraski will be running at local high school tracks over the eight days. His goal is to raise $20,000 for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee, and to hopefully unite local residents during what he said is a time of divisiveness.
“I wanted to do an event to bring the community together,” Sobieraski said this morning at the Albion track. “Instead of condemnation, let’s celebrate.”
He welcomes people to join him on the track, even if it’s one lap – walking or jogging.
Sobieraski expects he will be running 220 laps for about 12 hours each of the first seven days, while the final day of 15 miles should be about 3 hours of running.
Each day he will start at 7 a.m., except the final day on July 25 that begins at 8 a.m.
The schedule includes:
- Saturday, July 18 – Albion High School for 55 miles
- Sunday, July 19 – Lyndonville HS for 55 miles
- Monday, July 20 – Batavia HS for 55 miles (7 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Tuesday, July 21 – East Rochester HS for 55 miles (Special Remembrance Day for Fallen Officers)
- Wednesday, July 22 – Kendall HS for 55 miles
- Thursday, July 23 – Medina HS for 55 miles
- Friday, July 24 – Holley HS for 55 miles
- Saturday, July 25 – Albion HS (8 a.m. to 11 a.m.) for the grand finale of 15 miles
Community Action representatives will be there each day to share about the agency’s mission, and also to collect donations. Sobieraski has raised $3,366 online so far from 51 donors. Click here for more on donating online, or to register to join on the track. People don’t need to register to walk or run with him at the track. They can simply show up.
Renee Hungerford, the Community Action chief executive officer, said she appreciates Sobieraski willingness to highlight the work of the agency, and to raise money at a time when Community Action faces funding cuts.
“Our agency has helped individuals and families build stronger futures,” Hungerford said. “Every day, our dedicated team provides services that touch lives across our region – from Head Start and early childhood education programs to food assistance, transportation services, weatherization and energy programs, housing support, workforce development, youth services, and much more.”
Brett Sobieraski has been training for months for the 400-mile run over eight days from July 18 to July 25.
Sobieraski said Community Action offers a “hand up” and not a handout in assisting people in overcoming some barriers and hardships.
“They stand out for all the great things they do,” he said about the agency.
Jackie Dunham, the director of operations for Community Action, has helped coordinate the Community Action 400 event with Sobieraski. The two have been friends for several years.
The agency will have copies of the two books by Sobieraski for sale, and well as T-shirts about the Community Action 400. There also will be items up for raffle, including a cleat from new Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb.
Sobrieski, a retired Rochester Police sergeant, currently works as an investigator for the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force. He also is a member of this year’s Leadership Orleans class.
He has completed endurance challenges before. In 2015, he swam 32 miles across Lake Ontario for a charity that helps support the surviving spouses and children of fallen soldiers. In 2018, he ran over 175 miles for 50 hours nonstop to raise money and awareness for Special Olympics.
In 2023, Sobieraski announced he would be running a marathon every day for 48 days, traveling on foot from Florida and Rochester, going 26.2 miles a day. He would run the marathons to honor the memory of Rochester police officer Anthony “Maz” Mazurkiewicz who was killed in the line of duty on July 21, 2022. Sobieraski also sought to raise $100,000 for Mazurkiewicz’s family.
That goal was expanded to 50 marathons in 50 days, and Sobieraski would raise $110,000 for the family. In the last 5K of the final marathon, 850 people joined him in Rochester.
Sobieraski turned 60 yesterday. He said the distance will take a toll on his body. If people join him on the track, it will help him to keep moving.
“Having anyone, even strangers, come out will be a giant pick-me-up,” he said.
