Sobieraski has completed more than 200 miles in Community Action run

Day 5 in Kendall with Community Action 400 concluding Saturday in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Today is day 5 of the Community Action 400, and Brett Sobrieski’s blistered feet are hurting.

He entered today have already run over 200 miles since Saturday. He is attempting to complete 400 miles over 8 miles with a goal of raising $20,000 for Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. As of about noon, the fundraising is up to $19,000.

The top photo shows Sobrieski, second from right, chatting with Kendall resident Jim Baker, a fellow ultramarathoner. Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter is second from left with his son Kevin next to him. Christine Klein is at far right.

Klein drove in from Chili and she brought the rosemary herb, which she said promotes circulation and clears brain fog. Klein said so many miles in a short time frame can lead to delusions.

“I’ve run ultras,” she said. “I know how you can feel loopy.”

She ran 20 laps with Sobieraski this morning for 5 miles. He is going to try to complete 220 laps for 55 miles today. Klein could see Sobieraski was struggling with very sore feet, but was pushing forward.

“It’s amazing what he does,” she said.

Jim Baker runs with Brett Sobieraski on the Kendall track. Sobieraski has already run 55 miles on Saturday in Albion, 55 miles on Sunday in Lyndonville, 50.5 miles in Batavia on Monday and 55.8 miles in East Rochester on Tuesday.

After Kendall today he plans to run 55 miles in Medina on Thursday, 55 in Holley on Friday and 15 in Albion on Saturday. He needs to make up for the 4.5 miles at Batavia. The track closed at 5:30 p.m. due to a lacrosse game. Sobieraski made up 0.8 mile on Tuesday with 3.7 more before the 400-mile trek is complete.

Baker, 63, said he has run many miles at the Kendall track training for marathons and ultras that are beyond the 26.2-mile distance of a marathon.

“I hope he can do it,” Baker said about Sobieraski’s 400-mile goal. “He’s a good man. He has a ton of heart.”

Sobieraski is cheered on by some members of the Orleans County District Attorney’s Office, who too their lunch break to encourage him. From right from the DA’s office include Michayla Boyer and Michelle Werth, the director of the Crime Victim’s Office. Sobieraski’s girlfriend Laura Rinaldi is second from left.

Sobieraski is retired from the Rochester Police Department as a sergeant. He is working as an investigator for the Orleans County Major Felony Crimes Task Force.

His two sons graduated from Kendall.

Sobieraski said today’s effort in Kendall is dedicated to Rich Williams, a longtime wrestling coach in Kendall who passed away at age 64 on July 3. Williams “would give you the shirt off his back” and was a great friend and mentor to many in the community, Sobieraski said.

Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter is next to Sobieraski on the Kendall track. Baxter’s son Kevin is on the other side. They are joined by Christine Klein.

Sheriff Baxter said he was there to provide moral support because he knew Sobieraski’s feet were badly blistered and he could use encouragement.

About 250 people joined Sobieraski on Tuesday in East Rochester, including many law enforcement officers.

Sobieraski used that run to also honor the memory of three law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty: Rochester police officer Daryl Pierson, Rochester police officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz and Jamison Ritter, a Rochester native killed in the line of duty working as an officer in Cleveland.

Sobieraski said it was an emotional high seeing so many people come out in support of those three officers on Tuesday.

He welcomes community members to join him on the track, even for a lap, at any of the locations.

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