Honor Robert Tedford At 2nd Annual Memorial 5K In Ellington

ELLINGTON, CT — Last year, Ellington runners honored their town's longtime director of recreation with a 5k road race — and this year, they'll do it again.

The 2nd Annual Robert Tedford Memorial Road Race will take place on Nov. 13, and participants will run along "a course that travels our most scenic Ellington roads" that Tedford himself created, town officials wrote on Facebook.

The race will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sadds Mill Road in Ellington and end at the recently renamed Robert Tedford Memorial Park, located off of CT-140.

A water station will be available along the course and another will be provided at the finish area.

All proceeds from the race and its events will be donated to the Robert Tedford Memorial Fund.

That fund helps to improve parks, facilities and programs within the town of Ellington, according to the race's donation page, which has already raised $375 from 10 donors.

Registration costs $30 for adults and $25 for youths ages 18 and under. Preregistration can be completed here, and on-site registration is also available beginning at 8 a.m. the day of the race under the pavilion at Robert Tedford Memorial Park.

The first 100 runners to enroll will receive a free commemorative customized Tedford Blue fleece vest, and every finisher will be awarded a celebratory medal.

Tedford was Ellington's recreation director for 45 years before his sudden death in November 2018. Town officials said his "dedication to the development of recreational opportunities for all community members was unmatched."