Brett Sobieraski to run 400 miles over 8 days in July for Community Action
Carlton resident invites people to join him in runs at local high school tracks
Provided photo: Brett Sobieraski, a Carlton resident, is shown on June 4, 2023 entering New York State, the eighth and final state of a 1,300-mile journey on foot. That year he ran 50 marathons in 50 days to honor the memory of Rochester police officer Anthony “Maz” Mazurkiewicz. He was killed in the line of duty on July 21, 2022. Sobieraski raised $110,000 for Mazurkiewicz’s family.
CARLTON – Brett Sobieraski has announced he is tackling another very ambitious, and nearly human-defying endurance challenge: He will run 400 miles over eight days in a benefit for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.
Sobieraski, a Carlton resident, plans to run 55 miles each day the first seven days and then 15 miles the final day. He welcomes people to join him on the track, even if it’s just for a lap.
He expects to be out there for about 12 hours each of the 55-mile days, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.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
For more on the 400-mile challenge, including sponsorship, click here or contact Jackie Dunham at Community Action, (585) 589-5605, ext. 110.
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, despite nearing 60, wanted to tackle a new challenge this year for Community Action. He wants to raise at least $20,000 for the agency which has faced federal and state funding cuts.
“It’s a fantastic organization that is all about giving hands-up, not handouts,” he said. ‘Let’s help them so they can continue to change lives for the better.”
Some of the programs offered by Community Action include:
- transportation for the elderly and disabled
- food and clothing
- home cooling and weatherization projects
- thrift store services
- work place job training and counseling
- prom dresses along with credit counseling for high school students
- Head Start programs to assist with learning, child care and family services
- Through their Project Salus, help adolescents with the support from education to financial
Photo by Tom Rivers: Bert Gallmon, left, is the race director for the Albion Strawberry Festival. He helps Brett Sobieraski put on the Strawberry costume for the race five years ago. Someone will often dress as a strawberry during the race. The race will be Saturday in Albion at 8 a.m. Sobieraski plans to be at the race on Saturday.
