The My Team Triumph Firecracker 5K in July is one of dozens of roads races coming to the area this summer. InkFreeNews file photo by Mike Deak

By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – The streets in several of the communities in Kosciusko County will be busy on the weekends this summer.

A host of road races and triathlons will be held this summer in Syracuse, North Webster and Winona Lake in a variety of formats and participation levels.

Below is a list of races and quick hit info on what to expect:

May 1 – Runs4Mom 5K – Columbia City
5K fun run: starts at the Joseph Decuis Farm and benefits the Healthier Moms & Babies Foundation

May 4 – May The Fourth Be With You – Plymouth
one-mile run: sponsored by the Marshall County Running Club and starts at the Centennial Park in downtown Plymouth.

May 22 – Elkhart Police 5K Fun Run – Elkhart
5K run and 1K walk: the first-time event geared to help benefit the EPD K-9 department. The race starts at Elkhart High School East and works through downtown Elkhart.

May 22 – Paws For A Cause – Elkhart
5K run: Racing starts in Ox Bow Park and filters through the park’s trail system. Proceeds go to help the Humane Society of Elkhart County.

May 29 – Mill Race 5K – Goshen
5K run and 1K kids walk: Touted as Goshen’s first in-person race in a year, the event starts at Shanklin Park. Kids race for free.

May 31 – Memorial Day 10K – Columbia City
10K: the event will circulate around the parade route in downtown Columbia City.

May 31 – Memorial Day 5K – Winona Lake
5K run and 1K kids run: The racing will start and finish at Winona Lake Park, stretching through the Heritage Trailway.

June 2 – Big Run 5K – Mishawaka
5K run: Racing along the scenery of downtown Mishawaka, including the River Walk and the new pathways.

June 12 – Camp Whitley 5K Trail Run – Columbia City
5K: offroad run around the Whitley County seat that benefits the children’s camp.

June 19 – Bacon Around The Bend – South Bend
5K: the unique run around downtown South Bend includes stops to eat bacon and ends at Corby’s for postrace libations.

June 19 – Fireman’s 5K – Bremen
5K: no details available

June 19 – Blackburn Run 4 Others – Winona Lake
5K, 10K, virtual: the race begins at the Trailhouse in Winona Lake and is a benefit event for Water For Good, which helps citizens in the Central African Republic get clean drinking water.

June 19 – Mudtastic Classic – Syracuse
two-mile mud run: the event is open to kids and adults on a muddy track at the WACF property on Lake Wawasee. The race helps fund projects for the Syracuse Parks Department.

June 26 – Optimist Triathlon – Winona Lake
USA Sprint Triathlon: the 28th running of the annual gathering in Winona Lake Park takes swimmers into Winona Lake, bike riders out to Pierceton and back, and runners into the Winona Trails system as well as Winona Lake and Grace College. There are 10 categories for race levels for both kids and adults.

July 3 – Loon Lake Run/Walk – Columbia City
5.5K: racers will tack backwards around Loon Lake in an extended distance race.

July 3 – My Team Triumph Firecracker 5K – Winona Lake
5K: the annual race benefitting My Team Triumph and its local associates, the route will take runners through the Heritage Trailway to and from Winona Lake Park.

July 4 – Flotilla Road Race – Syracuse
3.3-mile, 8-mile, fun walk: the road race through eastern Syracuse has been a staple on the 4th of July for over four decades, and will continue again this year. The 3.3 and 8-mile courses will originate and return to Lakeside Park and cover a host of age groups and prize levels.

July 4 – Waves Of Freedom 5K – Culver
5K: runners will get a trip along the banks of Lake Maxincuckee in scenic Culver.

July 10 – Freedom Fest 5000 – Goshen
5K: runners will take a trip along the runway at Goshen Airport as part of the total Freedom Fest airshow at the airport.

July 10 – Bre’s Run 5K – Bourbon
5K: originally created in the memory of the late Breanna Lemler, runners will carry on her legacy in the road race in and around Bourbon, her hometown.

July 31 – Dixie Day Dash 5K – North Webster
5K, fun walk: the road course takes runners around Webster Lake in a morning addition to the Dixie Days festival in North Webster. There is a theme – Sailors and Mermaids – for runners or walkers to partake.

July 31 – Wawasee Triathlon – Syracuse
USA Sprint Triathlon: the annual triathlon originating at Lakeside Park will carry on the traditional course, a swim into Syracuse Lake, a bike ride around Syracuse and back, and a 3.3-mile run north of the shores of Syracuse Lake. There will also be a 5K run/walk in addition to the triathlon.

August 22 – Run To End Human Trafficking – Winona Lake
5K, 10K: the third-annual event is built to fund Turning Impossible Making Empowered (TIME), and supported by the K21 Foundation. Its aim is to support anti-human trafficking efforts. The races itself are timed and start and end at Winona Lake Park on a pair of courses.

For more race information on any of the above, or to find other races in the area, visit runkra.com, fortwaynetrackclub.com or runningintheusa.com