THE COLOR RUN

On Sunday I participated in my coolest race to date: The Color Run.  They call themselves "The Happiest 5k" and it is a valid claim.

How does it work? Here's some info from the website:
What is the Color Run?


The Color Run is a one of a kind experience that is less about speed and more about enjoying a color crazy day with your friends and family. Our events, are all about people of all different speeds, ages, shapes, and sizes toeing the start line. Whether you are a casual morning mall walker or an Olympic athlete, the 3 miles of the Color Run course will be the most enjoyable real estate you’ve traveled in a VERY long time. You will love this Color Dash of fun!
How does it work?


The Color Run pretty much has 2 SIMPLE rules. 1. White shirts (any mostly white T will work great) mandatory at the start line and 2. Color plastered EVERYTHING at the finish! Runner/walkers begin the 5k at the start line like a brand new pristine coloring book, they end looking like they fell into a Willy Wonka… tie dyed… vat of colored goodness.
What is the Color?


Each kilometer of the event is associated with a designated color. 1k is yellow, 2k is blue, 3k is green, 4k is pink, and the 5k finish is a “Color Extravaganza.” As the runners/walkers hit the Kilometer COLOR RUN Zones, they will be blitzed by our volunteers, sponsors, and staff with COLOR. The color is a special “elf made” recipe of magical color dust. All products are 100% natural and safe. You can eat the stuff if you’d like (we have tried it and don’t suggest it, it is surprisingly high in calories and leaves a chalky aftertaste).

So basically you run a 5k and after every kilometer you get "hit" with different colors and you end up looking like this:

Post-Race in my parents' driveway.

I didn't have a chip, it wasn't timed, and there was no pressure.  I ran the whole thing because I wanted to!  I ran part of the race with two brothers from Louisiana.  The older brother is in graduate school here, and lives here with his wife and two young sons.  Because of the Olympics, the sons thought that their dad and uncle were Olympians in this race!  The brothers wore capes during the race and they were a lot of fun. 

They are doing Color Runs all over the country.  Check out their website to see if they're heading your way!  If they ever come back to Louisville I am definitely signing up again.