Fortitude 10K is put on by the same people who do Bolder Boulder. If you've ever done that race this is the same format - run in a college town and finish in the college football stadium where you can stay to watch the elite runners start after us mere mortals have finished.

It's just north of Denver in Fort Collins and it bookends the summer on Labor Day (BB is Memorial Day). I've only been to Ft Collins once and the parking and shuttle information provided by the race kind of intimidated me (IMO it made things seem a lot further apart than they were) so I carpooled with someone familiar with the area. With her, I was able to find a really close parking spot that was convenient to both the start and finish which were only a couple of blocks apart. If I had not had her with me I probably wouldn't have known where I was going because I did not see any real clear signage and streets were closed off at that point. The race starts in waves and the start went very smoothly.

The race course was pleasant. There wasn't a lot of elevation gain but there were a few areas of long, gradual inclines. Runners wound their way through lots of spacious streets through neighborhoods and local business areas. There were a few residents out cheering, trying to recreate the BB atmosphere. I'm sure I missed a lot because I tried to race this one (my legs and the heat had other ideas about 4 miles in) and I didn't do a lot of looking around at everything going on. The end is fast and flat as you run down the road straight to the stadium before taking a lap around the field. This is likely an appreciated finish for BB runners since that one finishes uphill into the CU Boulder stadium! Climbing the stairs to the concourse after the finish, however, is *not* fun.

Runners are directed to the main level of the stadium (where concessions are) once they finish where they can grab food and drink. I have never been so happy to see an ice cold Diet Coke as I was that day! The snacks were okay. Nothing special. But, it looked like they were opening up concession stands for runners to purchase food and drink so there are options. My biggest complaint, similar to BB, is the post-race expo. If a race chooses to have a post-race expo (I don't get it, but oh well) that's fine but please don't squeeze it into a space that's way too small.

Overall, a fun and easy race. If you're within driving distance, it's definitely worth checking out. I'll probably be back next year. On rested legs.