The Big Run Presented by Fleet Feet and Brooks

Join us for the 17th Annual Pufferbelly Run, Walk, and Stroll 10K, 5K Family Run/Walk, and 1 Mile Kids' Fun Run.

The proceeds from this event will be used for trail development activities. One of the biggest projects in our community is the conversion of the former New York Railroad into a paved recreational path called the Pufferbelly Trail in Fort Wayne. When completed, it will link downtown Fort Wayne to Pokagon State Park in Angola and south to Ouabache State Park in Bluffton. At 84 miles, and called the Poka-Bache Connector, it will become the spine for a regional trails system that will provide endless health and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to the Fort Wayne area.

Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors.

UAW #2209

YMCA

The Fort Wayne Tincaps

Northeastern REMC

API

Three Rivers Running Company

Parkview Regional Medical Center

Mountain bike riders, trail runners and wheelchair athletes will take on the technical dirt trails of Franke Park during the heat of the summer in the Hot Summer Singletrack.

Mountain bike riders can take on the six hour challenge or settle for a more reasonable three hour ride on a seven-mile loop of the technical dirt trails of Franke Park.

Wheelchair athletes can choose to follow a challenging course of paved path and gravel road for either three or six hours.

Trail runners can take on the six hour challenge or settle for a more reasonable three hour ride on a three-mile loop of the technical dirt trails of Franke Park.

The race begins at 8AM.

RACE INFO

AWARDS FOR THE WINNER OF EACH CATEGORY

TENT CITY NEAR THE HUB AT THE BASE OF DERBY HILL. BRING YOUR EZ UP ON RACE DAY AND SET UP BASE CAMP FOR YOU AND YOUR CREW

THE GRILL OPENS AT 11AM FOR RACE PARTICIPANTS AND CREW. SNACKS AND PICNIC-STYLE FOOD ARE INCLUDED WITH REGISTRATION FEE

THANKS TO UAW LOCAL 2209, WE ARE ABLE TO KEEP REGISTRATION FEES LOW!

WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO MAKE THE RACE FREE TO YOUNG PEOPLE 18 AND UNDER

TIMELINE

Friday

• 5:00PM-7:00PM-Packet pickup at the HUB in Franke Park

Saturday

• 7:00AM-7:45-Packet pickup

• 7:45AM-Race instructions and information.

• 8:00AM-Race Time

• 11:15PM-Three hour race awards

• 2:00PM- Six hour race awards

Welcome to the 5th Annual Huntertown Heritage Days 5K, part of the Huntertown Heritage Days Festival! The Huntertown Heritage Days Festival was established in 1999 and will take place this year from Thursday, July 30th to Sunday, August 2nd. This race helps support the Huntertown Heritage Days Festival and all the events the community has come to know and love.

Race Information

Race day is Saturday, August 1st, and the race will begin promptly at 8:00AM. The event will be held rain or shine. The start and finish line will be in front of Huntertown Elementary School. Registration is online only and will close Thursday, July 30th at 11:59PM. There will be no race day registration. All participants that are registered before July 17th will receive a t-shirt. There will be no registrations accepted after Thursday, July 30th at 11:59PM.

Packet Pick-Up

Packet pick-up will be on race day morning at Huntertown Elementary School. Our table will be located on the west side of the elementary school near the Huntertown Fire Department:

• Saturday, August 1st (6:30AM-7:45AM)

Packet pick-up will close promptly at 7:45AM. Please give yourself enough time to pick-up your things and get to the start line. We would recommend arriving by 7:15AM. Please note, there will be no day of race registration available.

Parking

Parking will be available at Huntertown Elementary School. Please see below map for more information.

Race Day Schedule

• 6:30AM Packet Pick-Up Begins

• 7:45AM Packet Pick-Up Ends

• 8:00AM Start of Race

• 9:00AM Course Closes

• 9:00AM Awards Ceremony

Course

The course will be a flat and fast loop around Huntertown. The course will start and finish in front of Huntertown Elementary. Runners and walkers will proceed north on Lima Road for approximately a mile. At that point, you will turn left onto Shoaff Road. Runners and walkers will continue on Shoaff Road for a little more than a half-mile before turning left onto Malcolm Road. Malcolm Road will turn into Hunter Road around the two and a quarter-mile mark. Runners and walkers will then follow Hunter Road until the three mile mark when you will turn right back onto Lima Road. At that point, you will see the finish line approximately 200 meters away. Scroll to the bottom of the page for an official MapMyRun course map.

Results

Results will be posted on the website as soon as they are available. Timing will be done by DRS Timing, LLC.

Awards

There will be an award for the first overall male and female finisher, and there will be medals awarded to the top three in each age group. The age group divisions will be as follows for both male and female:

• 14 & Under

• 15-19

• 20-29

• 30-39

• 40-49

• 50-59

• 60-69

• 70 & Older

Course Record Bonus

Just like last year, we will be offering a $100.00 bonus to the male or female race winner that breaks the current course record. Though this race was started only a few years ago, the course records should still be a challenge.

• Male: Connor Quinn - 15:05.6 (2025)

• Female: Annaka Rudolph - 18:02.1 (2025)

Top Performances

For those with a competitive spirit, here are the top ten male and female performances on our course since the race began in 2022. It will take a good effort and some solid fitness to crack our top ten!

Men

1. Connor Quinn - 15:05.6 (2025)

2. Sam Hardy - 15:17.0 (2025)

3. Drew Davis - 15:35.9 (2025)

4. Robert Lohman - 15:49.9 (2025)

5. Robert Lohman - 16:10.5 (2024)

6. Kent Yoder - 16:10.7 (2025)

7. Liam Row - 16:14.9 (2022)

8. Mike Cole - 16:40.4 (2022)

9. Isaiah Heuer - 16:43.0 (2025)

10. Dalton Atchison - 16:45.8 (2025)

Women

1. Annaka Rudolph - 18:02.1 (2025)

2. Annaka Rudolph - 18:38.1 (2024)

3. Bailey Beery - 18:40.2 (2025)

4. Alex Ebetino - 19:15.0 (2024)

5. Mercedes Sarver - 19:28.4 (2025)

6. Alivia Bruckner - 19:37.1 (2025)

7. Cate Sunderlin - 20:09.0 (2025)

8. Jillian Elsworth - 20:13.2 (2025)

9. Yvette Rojas - 20:13.8 (2023)

10. Summer Ross - 20:21.1 (2025)

Post-Race

Water and snacks will be provided after the race. Make sure to drink lots of water before and after the event! Afterwards, stay for the Huntertown Heritage Days Festival. Check out the Facebook page for a full schedule of events.

History of Huntertown

Huntertown was originally called "The Opening", after being settled in a natural clearing in the forest, in about 1837. Huntertown is located on the old Lima Plank Road connecting Lima (now Howe) and Fort Wayne. The Perry Centre Seminary was founded in Huntertown in 1856, only to close five years later when the entire faculty and adult students enlisted in the Union Army. The town was platted in 1869. That means that this year marks Huntertown's 157th year in existence!

• Article on the Huntertown Heritage Days Festival (2019)

• Article on the Huntertown Heritage Days Festival (2024)

Appleseeds Cross Country is a competitive cross country racing team. Our team is open to kids going into Kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. We compete in several meets throughout the course of the season, which are outlined below. Appleseeds welcomes kids from all schools in the area as well as kids who are homeschooled.

We have 3 age groups: elementary school, middle school, and high school. Elementary athletes will race 1 mile, middle schoolers will race 3k, and high schoolers will race 5k.

The race schedules will differ between age groups. Please make sure you register for the appropriate level based on your child's age. The grades are denoted in parentheses next to the name of the level.

We will practice Monday and Wednesday evenings beginning August 10th through September 30th.

Feel free to reach out to Club Director, Lynn Marbach, with any questions at [email protected].

Practice Schedule:

Monday and Wednesdays, 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Race Schedules:

Elementary Races:

September 4th: Eel River Otter Classic

September 17th: Hickory Center Husky Hustle

September 25th: Fort4Fitness Kid's Race

September 29th: Cadet Mile

October 3rd: Archer Invite in Antwerp Ohio

Middle School Races:

September 5th: Manchester Invitational

September 12th: Wildcat Classic at Indiana Wesleyan University

September 15th: Blackhawk Christian Middle School Invite

September 19th: South Adams Invite

September 26th: New Haven Invitational at Huntington University

October 3rd: Archer Invite in Antwerp Ohio

High School Races:

September 5th: Manchester Invitational

September 12th: Wildcat Classic at Indiana Wesleyan University

September 19th: South Adams Small School Invite

September 26th: New Haven Invitational at Huntington University

October 3rd: Archer Invite in Antwerp Ohio

Benefits:

• Guidance from our experienced coaches

• Two practices a week

• Asics team singlet and shorts

• Appleseeds t-shirt

• Special discount on running shoes

• Entries for all races

Appleseeds Cross Country practices take place at Franke Park near the McMillen Family Pavilion located at 1750 Goshen Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46808.

The Firefly Six Hour Trail Race is a six-hour timed night trail event. Run as many trail laps as you can in six hours.

Participants complete as many laps as they can on the Franke Park Trail network for up to six hours. The route consists of paved path, gravel and single track dirt trail.

Each loop will start/finish at the HUB. Only full loops will count toward your mileage total! The HUB is a multi-use facility built and maintained by the Summit City Singletrack mountain bike riding club. The HUB is equipped with picnic tables and shade triangles. The HUB will also be lit after sunset.

You can find the HUB between the gravel parking lot and Derby Hill.

There will not be an aid station on the course. Bring your own snacks and drinks to keep at the HUB. We encourage you to bring your favorite snacks and drinks to share at the HUB during the race. This is a great opportunity to share and try new trail treats.

New to Franke Park?

There are a few things to keep in mind:

• Trail pace is about two minutes per mile slower

• The trails are technical!

• Always be aware of your surroundings-branches can pop out of anywhere

• There are roots and rocks on the dirt trail-watch your step

Recommended Gear:

• Headlamp/flashlight. It’s a night race

• Folding chair

• Insect repellent

• Sun screen

• Snacks

• Water

• Hydration mis

Schedule of events:

3:30PM-4:45PM-Packet pickup

4:45PM-Race instructions and information

5:00PM~Race Time

11:00PM-Race awards

The Firefly is a group project. Bring your own nutrition and hydration and bring your favorite trail snacks to share. It’s a great chance to try something new!