Gingerbread Pursuit

NOTE:  The Gingerbread Pursuit is postponed until 2023. Construction and other factors (which proved problematic last year) were not going to allow for the race experience we would have liked.

 

Race start is 8:30 am. Gather the morning of on Harrison Street near the Promenade Park Pavilion, 202 W. Superior St., Fort Wayne IN 46802

WE HAVE CHANGED THE COURSE TO ALLOW FOR AN EXTENDED START TIME.

All of the event will be outside.  Because the start line will remain open longer to accommodate distancing we have altered the course.  What is exciting is that the new course gets people up on part of the Pufferbelly Trail and will take them UNDERNEATH Clinton Street along Spy Run Creek north of Science Central.

The new Clinton Street trail underpass in shown in the photo here.

The race prep and after refreshments will not take place in the Promenade Park pavilion. The race will start on Harrison Street, runners will go due north, then across the back of the St. Vincent’s Villa property (now the Headwaters Church). Expect a short bit of cross country over the soccer field. Runners will then enter the new Pufferbelly trail at Jacobs Street and proceed toward West State. Then runners will take the ramp down from the trail, take the brand new trail along Spy Run Creek that runs UNDER Clinton Street, then south past Science Central to the RiverGreenway. From there runners will head east along the Greenway to a turn-around point past the Old Fort toward the Filtration Plant.  Runners will then turn and head back west to finish past the Dr. Martin Luther King Bridge but before the Harrison Street bridge

 

Start a new Holiday Season tradition with the Gingerbread Pursuit 4 Mile Run.

click here to register online at Get Me Registered

“The gingerbread man, he’s out of the pan! Chase him, yes chase him as fast as you can!”

 

EXCITING – The Start and Finish will both be near Fort Wayne’s new Promenade Park along the St. Marys adjacent to Harrison and Superior downtown!

The Gingerbread Pursuit has been paused for 2022. It will resume in 2023.

 

Your race bib will earn you (and a child) free entry to the Gingerbread Festival at The History Center.

The Gingerbread Pursuit was the FIRST race event to be held at the NEW Promenade Park.

Start on Harrison Street adjacent to the park, then runners will head north on Harrison, across the back of the Headwaters Church property, then to the Pufferbelly Trail, down the ramp by West State, then underneath Clinton Street to emerge north of Science Central. Tunners will then go south on the trail to hook up on will hook up on the Greenway near the Skate Park. Then run east along the Rivergreenway past the Old Fort toward the Filtration Plant, turn around and then go back west and finish on the Greenway past the Martin Luther King Bridge.

The race helps promote the Gingerbread Festival at The History Center and each runner will get a free entry to the Festival after the race; your race bib number is your entry to the Festival. It is amazing to see all the Gingerbread structures created for this Holiday tradition.

Part of your entry goes to support The History Center in its effort to bring heritage education to elementary students.

There is plentiful parking downtown.  You may wish to park between Promenade Park and The History Center if you plan to visit the Gingerbread Festival immediately after the race.

Route: NOTE: The route was changed for 2020 to accommodate the start mat being open longer for runners to race safely.  We are keeping the altered course this year as Allen County is now designated red for COVID transmission. Runners will head north on Harrison to the gate at the former St Vincent Villa. It will be slightly cross country to meet up with the Pufferbelly Trail. From there it will exit just prior to W. State Blvd to go east on the new trail along Spy Run Creek, UNDER Clinton Street, following the trail past Science Central and then south through Lawton Park to the Greenway. Runners will then head east to a turnaround – then back west to finish at the Greenway and Third Street. The race route can be viewed here.  The route may be slightly altered as we move closer to the race date.

Packet pick-up is the Saturday morning of the race starting at approximately 7:15 am at under the Harrison Street railroad elevation just south of Superior Street and north of the Landing (Columbia Street).

Visit the Gingerbread Pursuit Facebook page  for photos and updates.

2021 results will be posted simultaneously with the race completion on eRunner Timing and Results – our timing services provider.

NOTE: Refreshments will be limited this year but the Gingerbread cupcakes from Sassie Cakes are back. Individually bottled water and individually wrapped cookies will be at the finish line at the tent. Each finisher will receive a giant Spangler peppermint candy cane. We ask that runners disperse and go their vehicle immediately after finishing to be in compliance with our safety plan.

Come out and help promote The History Center and the Gingerbread Festival for the holidays!

TESTIMONIALS

Awesome race, I have run this race every year since 2014. So much fun, very competitive!Great refreshments afterwards!  Patricia Barger-Shoemaker December 08, 2018

[G]reat race! Pretty cool to run in the snow, and the courthouse afterwards was fantastic.  Dave Daugherty  December 09, 2017

This was a ton of fun! The gingerbread cupcakes were amazing! Thank you to all who helped put on this event.  Drew Bruton  December 09, 2017

2018 Results can be see here:  AGE GROUP  OVERALL RESULTS

2019 Race Photos HERE.  Photos by Doug Dye.

2018 Race Photos HERE.  Photos by Daniel Owens.

OVER 500 PHOTOS of runners at the 2017 Gingerbread Pursuit may be found on the Veep Races Flickr account here.

2017 Gingerbread Pursuit Results

2014 Gingerbread Pursuit Results

 

Once there was a gingerbread man,
Baking in a gingerbread pan.
Raisin eyes and a cherry nose,
Trimmed right down to his fingers and toes.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!

Here’s the old woman who made him so sweet,
A treat for her and her husband to eat,
She made him with flour and sugar and eggs,
She gave him a face and two arms and two legs.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!

Now open the oven to see if he’s done,
This gingerbread man, he knows how to run.
Out of the oven and onto the floor,
Now run away out the kitchen door.
The gingerbread man, he’s out of the pan!

Now chase him old woman, now chase him old man
Chase him, yes chase him as fast as you can!
Through the garden and out the gate,
Catch him right now, before it’s too late.
The gingerbread man, he’s out of the pan!




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