One Epic Run 2026

One Epic Run centers on the Memorial Day Mile, a downhill competitive mile in Columbia City, Indiana. The race starts in downtown Columbia City, runs point to point along Van Buren Street, and finishes at the Whitley County YMCA. It is tied directly to Memorial Day morning, with the mile kicking off the Annual Memorial Day Parade. The Memorial Day Mile began as a tradition started by the Bird family, and Epic Racing Events now carries it forward. Epic Racing Events was founded by Mike Else, a Fort Wayne runner and endurance athlete who began racing in 2003 and has run everything from 5Ks to 100-mile ultramarathons. The event comes out of the Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana running community, with a simple hook: a fast downhill mile before the parade rolls through town.