Registration FAQs
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Will I receive a confirmation that my entry has been received?
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-
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I’ve changed my mind about pushing a stroller in the 4 Mile Walk, what should I do?
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Course FAQs
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-
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Race Weekend FAQs
Other FAQs
Registration FAQs
How do I register for the race?
The easiest way to register is to register online. Just click on the REGISTRATION option to the left and then click the Register Online Now button to begin. You will be transferred to GetMeRegistered.com, our registration company, which will handle your registration. Just follow the on-screen instructions. Payment is made using your credit card using their secure process. Be sure you enter a valid email address. If you do not receive an email confirmation of your registration within 48 hours and cannot confirm your registration at https://secure.getmeregistered.com/confirm.php, email Fort4Fitness at for assistance. Every year we have a few people who fail to complete the last step in the registration process and are disappointed when they learn they did not register.
You can also register by completing the registration form on any Fort4Fitness printed brochure or by downloading the form and mailing it to Fort4Fitness. With a printed form, you can pay by check, money order or credit card.
Registration is open until 11:59 PM EDT the day the 10,000 capacity is reached online or 9/14/2013 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) whichever happens first. Mail-in registrations will be accepted that are post-marked on or before 9/14/2013 or the date the capacity is reached online whichever is sooner. There will be NO RACE WEEKEND REGISTRATION!
If you register online you should receive a confirmation email shortly after completing the registration process. Mail-in registrations will have to be confirmed manually. If registering by mail, it may take up to 2 weeks before your confirmation appears online. You can confirm your entry online at https://secure.getmeregistered.com/confirm.php. Fort4Fitness will also mail you a confirmation card a few weeks before the race.
Please contact with any registration questions. When this situation happens, it is usually because of typos in the name or email address field. We have the ability to search on other fields and often times can locate a lost entry.
Entry fees are non-refundable and entries are non-transferable. If the race sells out several weeks ahead of September 28, we may choose to make available a transfer option, but we make no guarantees that this will happen. When you register, assume that your registration is non-refundable and non-transferable.
The Race Director is generally a nice guy but does not take kindly to registration bandits. Every participant must sign the liability waiver and properly register. While I cannot verify 10,000 participants, I personally review the finish photographs of every award winner and unfortunately every year I disqualify a few people where the photo does not match the gender or general age of the registrant. Because of bandits, we cannot hand out awards on race day. Our policy is to warn any person we discover giving or receiving a race number to another person. We put their name(s) on a watch list. If this happens again, we reserve the right to ban the person from participating in any Fort4Fitness event for a period of up to 3 years.
We will operate under the honor system that participants will enter a reasonable estimated finish time when they register. We assign participants to starting corrals based on this time. Walkers and participants with strollers will start at the back of the field. If you find that during the course of your training, your estimate time is substantially better or worse than what you indicated when you registered, please contact us at and we will try to adjust your starting corral accordingly.
Strollers are allowed only for participants WALKING the 4 mile event only. For safety reasons, participants with strollers will line up at the back of the starting area. A stroller is defined to be any sturdy, non-motorized device designed to transport passengers that is pushed in front of the driver in which the driver of the device can see it and its occupant(s) at all times (e.g baby stroller, wheelchair, etc.). For safety reasons, pull behind (e.g. wagons) and motorized (e.g. Scooters) devices are not permitted.
Competitive wheelchair athletes are certainly welcome. A competitive wheelchair athlete is defined to one that self-propels him/herself the entire distance at any pace. All wheelchair athletes will be assigned to Corral A at the front of the starting area. Participants can start in a corral farther back but not ahead of their assigned corral. By being assigned to Corral A, a wheelchair athlete has the option to start anywhere in the starting area. Faster wheelchair athletes may choose to start 5 minutes before the runners to ensure they have an uninhibited start. Moderate paced wheelchair athletes should start in the corral with runners that match their pace. Fort4Fitness will email wheelchair athletes the projected pace of each corral a few days before the race so he/she can make an informed decision. If you have any questions, please contact us at . Non-competitive wheelchairs are welcome too and should follow the policies related to pushed devices as described in “Can I push a stroller?”
Yes. If you need to switch YOUR registration from one race to another, please download, fill out and return the 2013 Fort4Fitness Race Switch Request Form. All of the details can be found on this form. An additional fee may be required. This form is NOT for transferring your entry to another person. All entries are NON-TRANSFERRABLE.
If you registered to walk pushing a stroller but now no longer want to participate with the stroller, just leave the stroller at home. You do not need to tell us that you changed your mind. At packet pick-up you will receive a band in your race packet to attach to the stroller handle, but you can discard that band. Please do not give the band to anyone else, as the band will indicate to race officials at the start that the additional stroller liability waiver has been signed. If after registering you decide to push a stroller, please complete the 2013 Fort4Fitness Race Switch Request Form.
Yes if you can complete the 4 mile course fast enough to be at the 10K starting line by 9:00 AM. Participating in both races require registering for each race separately and paying the appropriate fees for both races.
Course FAQs
The Half Marathon course is certified by USATF/RRCA, certification number IN11008MW. The 4-mile and 10K courses will not be certified but will be very close to those distances. All races will share common start and finish lines with the half marathon.
Yes, you can view the course map here, or download a PDF by clicking here.
If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can download this KML file and view the course that way. Or, you can click on the links below to see interactive maps of the courses.
For the 4-Mile Run/Walk water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.55 Packard Park (Packard at Hoagland)
Mile 2.71 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
For the 10K Run/Walk water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.43 South Side HS (Calhoun at Darrow )
Mile 2.97 South Wayne (east side/NB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 3.65 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 4.90 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
For the Half Marathon water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.43 South Side HS (Calhoun at Darrow)
Mile 3.19 Greater Spirit of Love Church (Calhoun at Hollis)
Mile 4.69 Greenway Trailhead (Fairfield at Greenway Trailhead)
Mile 5.97 Foster Park Ball Diamonds (Greenway Trail SE of Hartman)
Mile 7.61 Lexington at Hartman
Mile 8.96 Old Mill at Fairfax
Mile 9.87 South Wayne (west side/SB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 10.55 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 11.81 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
All water stations will include portable restrooms, medical tent, water tables, Gatorade tables, cheering volunteers.
In addition for all 3 races:
Start
Water only will be served at the start at Baker and McClellan. 80 portable restrooms will be available.
Mile 0.89
Portable restrooms only will be available at Calhoun and Woodland
Finish
Medical, bottled water, apple, banana, petite bagel, salty snack and Gatorade will be provided.
A photographer will be available to take your picture wearing your finisher medal.
Restrooms are available on the concourse level of Parkview field
A half marathon is approximately 13.1 miles. The 10K is approximately 6.2 miles. In case you are wondering, the 4 Mile Run/Walk is 4 miles in length (we were actually asked that question in 2009).
Yes. However, half marathon participants must be able to complete the 13.1 miles in 4 hours or less (18 minute 18 second per mile pace), 10K participants must be able to complete the 6.2 miles in 125 minutes or less (20 minute per mile pace) and 4 mile participants in 80 minutes or less (20 minute per mile pace). If participants are not able to maintain the required pace, they will be asked to stop and be transported back to the finish line by race officials.
Yes, as long as they are officially registered for the race, have signed the liability waiver and are wearing a race bib. If they are not registered race participants, then they are not permitted on the course at any time.
When we changed the course in 2009, some people commented that they were disappointed because they liked the 2008 course. In 2009 we had to change the course because we moved the finish line from the City/County Building to Parkview Field. The FWPD requests that we do not cross the major arterial streets of Washington/Jefferson and Clinton/Lafayette late in the race. Therefore, the Fort4Fitness courses must go south and west of Parkview Field.
In 2011, we changed the course slightly again. This is mainly because we are adding a 10K race. We believe the new course is an improvement over the 2009/2010 version. It added an additional 1.5 miles of scenic Greenway Trails. Now over 4 miles (3.75-7.8) of the course go past beautiful golf courses or down scenic river trails. There are less twists and turns. Access to neighborhoods is better for residents who live in the areas impacted by the course. The relocation of the CitiLink bus terminal to Calhoun and Baker was also a deciding factor in the design of the new course. We did not want to impact city bus service late in the morning.
While we cannot guarantee injuries will not occur, we do several things to enhance the safety of the course. In the weeks prior to the race, we work with the City of Fort Wayne to fill any potholes and the street cleaning crews sweeps the entire course. We work with the police department to help keep vehicular traffic off the course. Army National Guard soldiers man intersections to help direct runners, control traffic and watch for distressed runners. We have an extensive EMS plans that includes multiple ALS ambulances stationed along the course, a cardiologist at the finish, medical staff at every water station, roving marshals on bicycles and roving EMS on golf carts to attend to any medical emergency. We have a command and control center that coordinates communication between the police, ANG, EMS and F4F staff/volunteers. We position water stations at strategic points along the course to encourage participants to stay adequately hydrated. We work with a traffic control company to set up signs, cones and barricades to divert traffic and set up detours. We purchase thousands of linear feet of crowd control barricades to help guide participants and spectators at the start and finish lines. At the entrance to the Greenway Trail, we clearly mark where poles are positioned near the course. At the exit of the Greenway Trail near mile 7, we clearly indicate that the course narrows to sidewalk-width for a few feet. In addition, our spectators and entertainers along the course informally provide additional eyes in case help is needed.
Race Weekend FAQs
Since the Half Marathon is the longer race, wouldn’t it make sense to start it before the 4 Mile Run/Walk and why do you wait until 9:00 AM to start the 10K?
Every year enough people ask a question like this on our post-race survey that I’ve decided to publish the answer here in the FAQs. The short answer is that the race order and start times are all determined by math. The 30 minutes between the 4 Mile and Half Marathon allow the last 4 Mile walker to turn off of Calhoun onto Packard Avenue one minute before the first Half Marathon runner arrives at that intersection. They also allow most if not all of the 4 Mile walkers to finish just before the first Half Marathon runner finishes. This ensures that the fastest Half Marathon participants are not impacted by 4 Mile walkers.
The 10K starts at 9:00 AM so that the large packs of runners (typically running near the 8:42 min/mi pace) arrive at the merger point of the courses at South Wayne and Pasadena at roughly the same time. This minimizes the number of runners having to weave around walkers. This is not a perfect science and there is no way to avoid the pace differentials between the two races especially the further the participants are away from running at a 8:42 min/mi pace. Each year we learn from the last and make improvements to the last 5K of the HM and 10K courses so the courses blend most efficiently.
Packet pick up will be at Parkview Field on Friday, September 27, 2013 from 1 PM to 9 PM. In order to alleviate crowds on race morning, packet pick up on Saturday morning will be allowed by written exception only. If you have circumstances that prevent you from picking up your race packet on Friday night, please download, fill out and return the 2013 Race Day Packet Pick Up Request Form. Groups of six or more individuals can qualify for group packet pick up. Please download, fill out and return the 2013 Group Packet Pick Up Request Form. All of the details can be found on these forms.
Chip verification is not needed this year as the timing chips are affixed to the back of the bib and verified by our timing company when that was done.
We’d love to guarantee a beautiful day, but of course, we cannot. The normal high is 72 degrees and normal low is 48 degrees.
All races share the same start and finish lines. The starting line will be at the historic Baker Street train station near the corner of Baker and Harrison Streets in downtown Fort Wayne. The finish line will be at home plate at the new Parkview Field baseball stadium at Ewing and Brackenridge Streets. A map of the start/finish area, including parking locations, is available on the travel page of our web site.
The start times on Saturday, September 28, 2013 are:
4 Mile Run/Walk - 7:30 AM
Half Marathon - 8:00 AM
10KRun/Walk - 9:00 AM
Please plan on being at the starting area a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start of your race. Please also allow plenty of additional time for travel, traffic and parking.
There is ample street and garage parking located close-by the starting line and Parkview Field. Please check the travel page of our web site for more information and parking tips. Please note that some lots may charge to park. Also, given the order of the races, Half Marathon and 10K participants will most likely have to park further away. Please plan accordingly. Carpooling is highly recommended.
Yes, please make sure your race number is visible from the front at all times. Please think about this if you plan to dress in layers. People will not be allowed in the starting area, served at the water stations or allowed onto the Parkview Field playing field unless they are displaying a race number. Action Sports Images uses the race number to match photos taken along the course to participants. To easily find photos of yourself after the race, you will want to make sure the number can be seen. Don’t forget to smile.
USA Track and Field recently relaxed the headphone ban that was the subject of much controversy over the past several years. The Fort4Fitness’ position on headphone use is now as follows: Recognizing that the Fort4Fitness is a social event that brings people together to share a common endeavor and that at times race officials may need to relay important instructions for participants to hear, we are STRONGLY recommending against the use of headphones, but we will not be officially prohibiting their use. Please exercise caution and remain alert to your surroundings if you choose to wear headphones. Also, promptly remove your headphones if race officials (e.g. course marshals, police, etc.) are communicating information. Entertainment will be provided along the course this year, which you will certainly want to fully enjoy.
All Half Marathon, 10K and 4 Mile Run/Walk participants who complete the course will receive a finisher's medal.
Prizes will be awarded in the Half Marathon and 10K events to the top three male and female finishers in the following categories/age groups: Overall Wheelchair, Overall Open; Overall Masters (40+); 19 and Under; 20 to 24; 25 to 29; 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; 50 to 54; 55 to 59; 60 to 64; 65 to 69; 70 and over.
Prizes will be awarded in the 4 Mile to the top three male and female finishers in the following categories/age groups: Overall Wheelchair, Overall Open; Overall Masters (40+); 12 and Under; 13 to 19; 20 to 24; 25 to 29; 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; 50 to 54; 55 to 59; 60 to 64; 65 to 69; 70 and over.
Prizes will be mailed to winners within a month after the race. All award winners will have finisher photos verified to ensure accurate results.
Road Runners Clubs of America will award special Regional Championship plaques for the Half Marathon to the top male and female winners in the Open, Masters (40+), Grand Masters (50+) and Senior Grand Masters divisions. These awards will be presented on race day.
You can choose to meet at any location inside Parkview Field. Finishers will exit near Section 114 but we recommend not choosing that area to help keep the congestion to a minimum. Fort4Fitness will post signs A through Z along the outfield wall. The grassy area along the outfield concourse is the officially designated runner reunion area. Please note that wheelchairs will be directed to go down the clubhouse ramp near the first base dugout and ride the elevator to the concourse level. Strollers and other wheeled devices will exit the field using the serpentine ramp in the right field corner. Friends and family members should expect to meet them on the concourse level accordingly.
Final race results will be posted online within an hour of the completion of the Half Marathon. Preliminary results may be available online throughout the race. A link to results will be available on race day. Race results will also be available in the event center at Parkview Field on race day.
Other FAQs
Fort4Fitness representatives met with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department officials to discuss several options as how to best handle Foster Park traffic in light of the race course going around park and down the main drive. Several options were discussed. In the end, FW P&RD decided that the best option would be to close the park to vehicular traffic and close the golf course that morning.
Great! It takes over 1,000 volunteers to make Fort4Fitness happen. There are many different opportunities to volunteer not only on the festival weekend but also in the days and weeks leading up to the Fort4Fitness. Contact
Contact
You must apply to be an entertainer (e.g. band, cheerleader, novelty act) along the Fort4Fitness course. Contact
Contact
Registration FAQs
-
Will I receive a confirmation that my entry has been received?
-
I’ve changed my mind about pushing a stroller in the 4 Mile Walk, what should I do?
Course FAQs
Race Weekend FAQs
Other FAQs
Registration FAQs
How do I register for the race?
The easiest way to register is to register online. Just click on the REGISTRATION option to the left and then click the Register Online Now button to begin. You will be transferred to GetMeRegistered.com, our registration company, which will handle your registration. Just follow the on-screen instructions. Payment is made using your credit card using their secure process. Be sure you enter a valid email address. If you do not receive an email confirmation of your registration within 48 hours and cannot confirm your registration at https://secure.getmeregistered.com/confirm.php, email Fort4Fitness at for assistance. Every year we have a few people who fail to complete the last step in the registration process and are disappointed when they learn they did not register.
You can also register by completing the registration form on any Fort4Fitness printed brochure or by downloading the form and mailing it to Fort4Fitness. With a printed form, you can pay by check, money order or credit card.
Registration is open until 11:59 PM EDT the day the 10,000 capacity is reached online or 9/14/2013 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) whichever happens first. Mail-in registrations will be accepted that are post-marked on or before 9/14/2013 or the date the capacity is reached online whichever is sooner. There will be NO RACE WEEKEND REGISTRATION!
If you register online you should receive a confirmation email shortly after completing the registration process. Mail-in registrations will have to be confirmed manually. If registering by mail, it may take up to 2 weeks before your confirmation appears online. You can confirm your entry online at https://secure.getmeregistered.com/confirm.php. Fort4Fitness will also mail you a confirmation card a few weeks before the race.
Please contact with any registration questions. When this situation happens, it is usually because of typos in the name or email address field. We have the ability to search on other fields and often times can locate a lost entry.
Entry fees are non-refundable and entries are non-transferable. If the race sells out several weeks ahead of September 28, we may choose to make available a transfer option, but we make no guarantees that this will happen. When you register, assume that your registration is non-refundable and non-transferable.
The Race Director is generally a nice guy but does not take kindly to registration bandits. Every participant must sign the liability waiver and properly register. While I cannot verify 10,000 participants, I personally review the finish photographs of every award winner and unfortunately every year I disqualify a few people where the photo does not match the gender or general age of the registrant. Because of bandits, we cannot hand out awards on race day. Our policy is to warn any person we discover giving or receiving a race number to another person. We put their name(s) on a watch list. If this happens again, we reserve the right to ban the person from participating in any Fort4Fitness event for a period of up to 3 years.
We will operate under the honor system that participants will enter a reasonable estimated finish time when they register. We assign participants to starting corrals based on this time. Walkers and participants with strollers will start at the back of the field. If you find that during the course of your training, your estimate time is substantially better or worse than what you indicated when you registered, please contact us at and we will try to adjust your starting corral accordingly.
Strollers are allowed only for participants WALKING the 4 mile event only. For safety reasons, participants with strollers will line up at the back of the starting area. A stroller is defined to be any sturdy, non-motorized device designed to transport passengers that is pushed in front of the driver in which the driver of the device can see it and its occupant(s) at all times (e.g baby stroller, wheelchair, etc.). For safety reasons, pull behind (e.g. wagons) and motorized (e.g. Scooters) devices are not permitted.
Competitive wheelchair athletes are certainly welcome. A competitive wheelchair athlete is defined to one that self-propels him/herself the entire distance at any pace. All wheelchair athletes will be assigned to Corral A at the front of the starting area. Participants can start in a corral farther back but not ahead of their assigned corral. By being assigned to Corral A, a wheelchair athlete has the option to start anywhere in the starting area. Faster wheelchair athletes may choose to start 5 minutes before the runners to ensure they have an uninhibited start. Moderate paced wheelchair athletes should start in the corral with runners that match their pace. Fort4Fitness will email wheelchair athletes the projected pace of each corral a few days before the race so he/she can make an informed decision. If you have any questions, please contact us at . Non-competitive wheelchairs are welcome too and should follow the policies related to pushed devices as described in “Can I push a stroller?”
Yes. If you need to switch YOUR registration from one race to another, please download, fill out and return the 2013 Fort4Fitness Race Switch Request Form. All of the details can be found on this form. An additional fee may be required. This form is NOT for transferring your entry to another person. All entries are NON-TRANSFERRABLE.
If you registered to walk pushing a stroller but now no longer want to participate with the stroller, just leave the stroller at home. You do not need to tell us that you changed your mind. At packet pick-up you will receive a band in your race packet to attach to the stroller handle, but you can discard that band. Please do not give the band to anyone else, as the band will indicate to race officials at the start that the additional stroller liability waiver has been signed. If after registering you decide to push a stroller, please complete the 2013 Fort4Fitness Race Switch Request Form.
Yes if you can complete the 4 mile course fast enough to be at the 10K starting line by 9:00 AM. Participating in both races require registering for each race separately and paying the appropriate fees for both races.
Course FAQs
The Half Marathon course is certified by USATF/RRCA, certification number IN11008MW. The 4-mile and 10K courses will not be certified but will be very close to those distances. All races will share common start and finish lines with the half marathon.
Yes, you can view the course map here, or download a PDF by clicking here.
If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can download this KML file and view the course that way. Or, you can click on the links below to see interactive maps of the courses.
For the 4-Mile Run/Walk water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.55 Packard Park (Packard at Hoagland)
Mile 2.71 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
Mile 2.71 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
For the 10K Run/Walk water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.43 South Side HS (Calhoun at Darrow )
Mile 2.97 South Wayne (east side/NB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 3.65 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 4.90 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
Mile 2.97 South Wayne (east side/NB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 3.65 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 4.90 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
For the Half Marathon water/aid stations will be located at:
Mile 1.43 South Side HS (Calhoun at Darrow)
Mile 3.19 Greater Spirit of Love Church (Calhoun at Hollis)
Mile 4.69 Greenway Trailhead (Fairfield at Greenway Trailhead)
Mile 5.97 Foster Park Ball Diamonds (Greenway Trail SE of Hartman)
Mile 7.61 Lexington at Hartman
Mile 8.96 Old Mill at Fairfax
Mile 9.87 South Wayne (west side/SB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 10.55 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 11.81 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
Mile 3.19 Greater Spirit of Love Church (Calhoun at Hollis)
Mile 4.69 Greenway Trailhead (Fairfield at Greenway Trailhead)
Mile 5.97 Foster Park Ball Diamonds (Greenway Trail SE of Hartman)
Mile 7.61 Lexington at Hartman
Mile 8.96 Old Mill at Fairfax
Mile 9.87 South Wayne (west side/SB lanes) at Maplegrove
Mile 10.55 South Wayne at Rudisill
Mile 11.81 Williams-Woodland neighborhood (Hoagland at Woodland)
All water stations will include portable restrooms, medical tent, water tables, Gatorade tables, cheering volunteers.
In addition for all 3 races:
Start
Water only will be served at the start at Baker and McClellan. 80 portable restrooms will be available.
Mile 0.89
Portable restrooms only will be available at Calhoun and Woodland
Finish
Medical, bottled water, apple, banana, petite bagel, salty snack and Gatorade will be provided.
A photographer will be available to take your picture wearing your finisher medal.
Restrooms are available on the concourse level of Parkview field
A half marathon is approximately 13.1 miles. The 10K is approximately 6.2 miles. In case you are wondering, the 4 Mile Run/Walk is 4 miles in length (we were actually asked that question in 2009).
Yes. However, half marathon participants must be able to complete the 13.1 miles in 4 hours or less (18 minute 18 second per mile pace), 10K participants must be able to complete the 6.2 miles in 125 minutes or less (20 minute per mile pace) and 4 mile participants in 80 minutes or less (20 minute per mile pace). If participants are not able to maintain the required pace, they will be asked to stop and be transported back to the finish line by race officials.
Yes, as long as they are officially registered for the race, have signed the liability waiver and are wearing a race bib. If they are not registered race participants, then they are not permitted on the course at any time.
When we changed the course in 2009, some people commented that they were disappointed because they liked the 2008 course. In 2009 we had to change the course because we moved the finish line from the City/County Building to Parkview Field. The FWPD requests that we do not cross the major arterial streets of Washington/Jefferson and Clinton/Lafayette late in the race. Therefore, the Fort4Fitness courses must go south and west of Parkview Field.
In 2011, we changed the course slightly again. This is mainly because we are adding a 10K race. We believe the new course is an improvement over the 2009/2010 version. It added an additional 1.5 miles of scenic Greenway Trails. Now over 4 miles (3.75-7.8) of the course go past beautiful golf courses or down scenic river trails. There are less twists and turns. Access to neighborhoods is better for residents who live in the areas impacted by the course. The relocation of the CitiLink bus terminal to Calhoun and Baker was also a deciding factor in the design of the new course. We did not want to impact city bus service late in the morning.
While we cannot guarantee injuries will not occur, we do several things to enhance the safety of the course. In the weeks prior to the race, we work with the City of Fort Wayne to fill any potholes and the street cleaning crews sweeps the entire course. We work with the police department to help keep vehicular traffic off the course. Army National Guard soldiers man intersections to help direct runners, control traffic and watch for distressed runners. We have an extensive EMS plans that includes multiple ALS ambulances stationed along the course, a cardiologist at the finish, medical staff at every water station, roving marshals on bicycles and roving EMS on golf carts to attend to any medical emergency. We have a command and control center that coordinates communication between the police, ANG, EMS and F4F staff/volunteers. We position water stations at strategic points along the course to encourage participants to stay adequately hydrated. We work with a traffic control company to set up signs, cones and barricades to divert traffic and set up detours. We purchase thousands of linear feet of crowd control barricades to help guide participants and spectators at the start and finish lines. At the entrance to the Greenway Trail, we clearly mark where poles are positioned near the course. At the exit of the Greenway Trail near mile 7, we clearly indicate that the course narrows to sidewalk-width for a few feet. In addition, our spectators and entertainers along the course informally provide additional eyes in case help is needed.
Race Weekend FAQs
Since the Half Marathon is the longer race, wouldn’t it make sense to start it before the 4 Mile Run/Walk and why do you wait until 9:00 AM to start the 10K?
Every year enough people ask a question like this on our post-race survey that I’ve decided to publish the answer here in the FAQs. The short answer is that the race order and start times are all determined by math. The 30 minutes between the 4 Mile and Half Marathon allow the last 4 Mile walker to turn off of Calhoun onto Packard Avenue one minute before the first Half Marathon runner arrives at that intersection. They also allow most if not all of the 4 Mile walkers to finish just before the first Half Marathon runner finishes. This ensures that the fastest Half Marathon participants are not impacted by 4 Mile walkers.
The 10K starts at 9:00 AM so that the large packs of runners (typically running near the 8:42 min/mi pace) arrive at the merger point of the courses at South Wayne and Pasadena at roughly the same time. This minimizes the number of runners having to weave around walkers. This is not a perfect science and there is no way to avoid the pace differentials between the two races especially the further the participants are away from running at a 8:42 min/mi pace. Each year we learn from the last and make improvements to the last 5K of the HM and 10K courses so the courses blend most efficiently.
Packet pick up will be at Parkview Field on Friday, September 27, 2013 from 1 PM to 9 PM. In order to alleviate crowds on race morning, packet pick up on Saturday morning will be allowed by written exception only. If you have circumstances that prevent you from picking up your race packet on Friday night, please download, fill out and return the 2013 Race Day Packet Pick Up Request Form. Groups of six or more individuals can qualify for group packet pick up. Please download, fill out and return the 2013 Group Packet Pick Up Request Form. All of the details can be found on these forms.
Chip verification is not needed this year as the timing chips are affixed to the back of the bib and verified by our timing company when that was done.
We’d love to guarantee a beautiful day, but of course, we cannot. The normal high is 72 degrees and normal low is 48 degrees.
All races share the same start and finish lines. The starting line will be at the historic Baker Street train station near the corner of Baker and Harrison Streets in downtown Fort Wayne. The finish line will be at home plate at the new Parkview Field baseball stadium at Ewing and Brackenridge Streets. A map of the start/finish area, including parking locations, is available on the travel page of our web site.
The start times on Saturday, September 28, 2013 are:
4 Mile Run/Walk - 7:30 AM
Half Marathon - 8:00 AM
10KRun/Walk - 9:00 AM
Please plan on being at the starting area a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start of your race. Please also allow plenty of additional time for travel, traffic and parking.
There is ample street and garage parking located close-by the starting line and Parkview Field. Please check the travel page of our web site for more information and parking tips. Please note that some lots may charge to park. Also, given the order of the races, Half Marathon and 10K participants will most likely have to park further away. Please plan accordingly. Carpooling is highly recommended.
Yes, please make sure your race number is visible from the front at all times. Please think about this if you plan to dress in layers. People will not be allowed in the starting area, served at the water stations or allowed onto the Parkview Field playing field unless they are displaying a race number. Action Sports Images uses the race number to match photos taken along the course to participants. To easily find photos of yourself after the race, you will want to make sure the number can be seen. Don’t forget to smile.
USA Track and Field recently relaxed the headphone ban that was the subject of much controversy over the past several years. The Fort4Fitness’ position on headphone use is now as follows: Recognizing that the Fort4Fitness is a social event that brings people together to share a common endeavor and that at times race officials may need to relay important instructions for participants to hear, we are STRONGLY recommending against the use of headphones, but we will not be officially prohibiting their use. Please exercise caution and remain alert to your surroundings if you choose to wear headphones. Also, promptly remove your headphones if race officials (e.g. course marshals, police, etc.) are communicating information. Entertainment will be provided along the course this year, which you will certainly want to fully enjoy.
All Half Marathon, 10K and 4 Mile Run/Walk participants who complete the course will receive a finisher's medal.
Prizes will be awarded in the Half Marathon and 10K events to the top three male and female finishers in the following categories/age groups: Overall Wheelchair, Overall Open; Overall Masters (40+); 19 and Under; 20 to 24; 25 to 29; 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; 50 to 54; 55 to 59; 60 to 64; 65 to 69; 70 and over.
Prizes will be awarded in the 4 Mile to the top three male and female finishers in the following categories/age groups: Overall Wheelchair, Overall Open; Overall Masters (40+); 12 and Under; 13 to 19; 20 to 24; 25 to 29; 30 to 34; 35 to 39; 40 to 44; 45 to 49; 50 to 54; 55 to 59; 60 to 64; 65 to 69; 70 and over.
Prizes will be mailed to winners within a month after the race. All award winners will have finisher photos verified to ensure accurate results.
Road Runners Clubs of America will award special Regional Championship plaques for the Half Marathon to the top male and female winners in the Open, Masters (40+), Grand Masters (50+) and Senior Grand Masters divisions. These awards will be presented on race day.
You can choose to meet at any location inside Parkview Field. Finishers will exit near Section 114 but we recommend not choosing that area to help keep the congestion to a minimum. Fort4Fitness will post signs A through Z along the outfield wall. The grassy area along the outfield concourse is the officially designated runner reunion area. Please note that wheelchairs will be directed to go down the clubhouse ramp near the first base dugout and ride the elevator to the concourse level. Strollers and other wheeled devices will exit the field using the serpentine ramp in the right field corner. Friends and family members should expect to meet them on the concourse level accordingly.
Final race results will be posted online within an hour of the completion of the Half Marathon. Preliminary results may be available online throughout the race. A link to results will be available on race day. Race results will also be available in the event center at Parkview Field on race day.
Other FAQs
Fort4Fitness representatives met with Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Department officials to discuss several options as how to best handle Foster Park traffic in light of the race course going around park and down the main drive. Several options were discussed. In the end, FW P&RD decided that the best option would be to close the park to vehicular traffic and close the golf course that morning.
Great! It takes over 1,000 volunteers to make Fort4Fitness happen. There are many different opportunities to volunteer not only on the festival weekend but also in the days and weeks leading up to the Fort4Fitness. Contact
Contact
You must apply to be an entertainer (e.g. band, cheerleader, novelty act) along the Fort4Fitness course. Contact
FORT4FITNESS, INC. • P.O. BOX 9007 • FORT WAYNE, IN 46899 • (260) 760-3371
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