Appleseeds Indoor Track Club

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

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

In honor of the military Veterans we proudly serve, we’re excited to announce the Indiana Canine Assistant Network’s 5K and Family Walk, happening Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. The event will take place at a park in the Fort Wayne area, with the exact location to be announced soon.

Kickoff is at 8 a.m.

All proceeds from the event will directly support our Veterans, whose service‑dog placement fees are fully waived by ICAN. Your participation helps ensure these life‑changing partnerships continue.

Joining us is a powerful way to recognize the sacrifices our Veterans have made and to show your appreciation for their service. Let’s come together to make a meaningful impact for these remarkable individuals.

Please note: Virtual participants are not guaranteed a T‑shirt.

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.