New London Road Race Enters Its 50th Year

A running race honoring a renowned local athlete and his wife will enter its 50th year on Saturday. It will also be the first race held since the man it honored passed away.

The John and Jessie Kelley Road Race begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The 11.6-mile route starts and finishes at . The route passes into Waterford before returning to New London, and the main roads include Great Neck Road, Rope Ferry Road, Willetts Ave., and Montauk Ave.

The race began near the end of John Joseph Kelley’s running career. Kelley was born in New London in 1930 and graduated from Bulkeley High School. He won the 1957 Boston Marathon with a record time of 2:20:05 and went on to compete in the Summer Olympics in 1956 and 1960. Kelley also had five second-place finishes in the Boston Marathon and won eight straight victories in the U.S. National Marathon between 1956 and 1963.

Kelley lived most of his life in Mystic, working as a teacher, freelance writer, and taxi driver. He also started the running store Kelley’s Pace in Old Mistick Village. He at the age of 80. Kelley’s wife, Jacintha "Jessie" Braga, passed away in 2003 after 50 years of marriage to Kelley.

In the 2011, the top finisher was 18-year-old Michael Conway of West Hartford, who completed the course in one hour and 46 seconds. Laura Brustolon, 23, of Mystic was the top racer in the women’s division with a time of 1:11:34.

Racers are invited to take a dip in the ocean, enjoy a meal, and listen to live music by the band Run For Cover at the completion of the race. There is no cost to compete, but runners must present their number to get into the beach for free.

For more information, visit snerro.com or contact race coordinator Way Hedding at 860-739-9927 or wayhedding@att.net.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.