17th Annual Pufferbelly Run/Walk/Stroll - Presented by Fort Wayne Trails

Join us for the Fort4Fitness Summer Sunrise Relay! Sign up your team (or as an individual) to run as many one-mile laps as possible during the four-hour time frame. The 2026 event location is the MedPro Group campus on Reed Road in Fort Wayne.

Tents, coolers and other supplies to keep you going are encouraged! You can look forward to activities around the course, free water stations and live entertainment throughout the day. Participants receive an event tank top (or visor) and medal.

Those participating on a team should designate a "captain" who can create a unique team name and password to be shared with other team members when registering.

This event will be held rain or shine. No refunds will be given.

Race fee for no-shirt option is $30! The 2026 Run, White and Blue 5 K to benefit NAMI Fort Wayne will be held on July 4, 2026 at Shoaff Park, Conklin Pavilion. The 5 K begins at 9:00 a.m. Day of race registration is July 4, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Special entry fee for runners 14 and under - $15*. Enter before June 14, 2026 to be guaranteed a performance t shirt in your size. Packet pick-up is July 3 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Conklin pavilion, Shoaff park. Packet pick-up is also July 4 beginning at 7:30 am at Conklin pavilion.

Be sure to wear your best red, white and blue. Chip timing provided by https://inmotiontiming.com/

2026 Age divisions: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

Your support of NAMI allows us to continue serving northeast Indiana through support, education, and advocacy. One NAMI Fort Wayne member has said, "Our family sunk into despair when we were unable to deal with the emotional devastation of watching our loved-ones lose the ability to manage the realities of everyday life. Once-productive family members were robbed of their competency to hold a job or form meaningful relationships. We were losing all the joy in our lives. At our first visit to a NAMI Fort Wayne support group we immediately felt accepted. We connected with several people affected by mental illness and shared ideas about helping our families. We later took Family-To-Family, a free 8 week class that empowered us to form our own strategies to navigate mental illness. Life still presents many challenges but thanks to NAMI we face those challenges with hope."

*During the registration process for runners age 14 and under, age-based pricing will be applied at check out.

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.