Expo - Bib Pick up was at New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, CO. It was held in a very small room for the amount of people there but it did the job.

Start- The race started on the road leading to Horsetooth next to Hughes Stadium on the west side of Fort Collin. Lucky I lived close enough to run to the start as the parking was really backed up. There was race day packet pickup & registration in the start area as well as a bag drop for personal items you wanted driven to the finish area. There were a few bathrooms for the runners with long but fast lines. We lined up a few minutes before the start, listened for the signal, and then we were off.

Race- April in Colorado can be hit or miss with weather so we were lucky to have a sunny warmish day. The first half of the race is the most difficult. The first 7 miles are up and down dams with steep inclines and even steeper declines. While running these crazy hills you get great view of Horsetooth Res, farm lands, and Poudre river. The course was half road but we shared it with the local traffic and half bike path. We then finished at the New Belgium Brewery.

Post-Race - The post race area was small for the amount of finishers & families. There was some the typical oranges & bananas as well as hot dogs (not what I would choose for post-race food) for runners to snack on after the race. They had a stage for a band that had been playing earlier in the day but was gone by the time I finished. We got pint glass which we could fill up with water or one free beer. The beer area was fenced off and only available for people 21+ with ID. The parking at the finish area was very limited for friends & family.

Swag- The race shirt was a pink tech shirt for women & blue for men. They typically change the shirt color each year but the design is always the same. At the finish you got a paperweight in the shape of Horsetooth Mountain and the pint glass.

Race Management- This is a Fort Collins Running Club Race but they hire an outside race director to manage the race. There was very few people out on the course directing runners and at aid stations. The pre-race information was lacking & nobody responded to email inquiries I made before the race. I think the race would have ran more smoothly if there was a different race director.

Overall - I'd recommend this race if you are looking for a challenging no frills race but register before the price gets to high