The 39th annual Branford Road Race took place on Father’s Day on June 17. The race featured nearly 3,000 participants who took part in the five-mile road race, two-mile fitness walk, and kids fun run.

Shelton’s Sean Ferguson and New Haven’s Hayley Germack were the top male and female finishers in the five-mile road race, respectively, by finishing with times of 25:07 and 30:43. Sam Montclair of North Haven and Ryan Pearl of Hamden were next in line among the men’s runners. Cheshire’s Courtney Dinnan and Clinton’s Sybil Shapiro also placed in the top three among the women’s racers.

Branford Road Race founders, Ray Figlewski and Dick Wainman, led the way in the fitness walk. Wainman moved to Utah in 2000, and so the duo had not been together at the race in nearly 20 years. Not only were Figlewski and Wainman reunited, this also marked the first year that they participated in the race.

“After nearly 40 years of organizing the race, it was quite the experience getting to do the race myself for the first time,” Figlewski said. “It reminded me why we began the race. Because of the support from our community, our race has grown to be one top five-mile races in the country.”

More than a decade ago, Figlewski was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. He has since made it his mission to raise awareness of the disease. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Connecticut Advocates for Parkinson’s. Figlewski also introduced a workshop in conjunction with the Branford Road Race that detailed the latest medical advancements in the fight against Parkinson’s Disease. More than 200 patients, caregivers, and doctors attended the third annual workshop, which was held on June 9.

The Branford Road Race kicked off the final day of the Branford Festival, a community celebration that attracts thousands of people. Runners and walkers enjoyed live music and aid stations along all courses. After the races, participants received a post-race brunch with a choice of a pancake breakfast, breakfast sandwich, or continental breakfast. For complete results visit, www.branfordroadrace.net.

Sponsors of the 2018 Branford Road Race include H.D. Segur Insurance, Premier Subaru and Kia, TYCO Print+Promo, Medtronic, Stony Creek Brewery, Barnum Capital Management, Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists, Planet Fitness, Jen Reynolds LMT, soundRUNNER, Pasta Cosi, The Sound, Notre Dame High School, 99.1 PLR, Orangetheory Fitness, Marco Pizzeria, and Southern Connecticut Muscle and Joint Performance Chiropractic.