With all the training plans, diet restrictions and interval workouts to adhere to, it's easy to forget why we like to run in the first place. Instead of decreasing stress through exercise, we're actually adding to it. And while racing and goals aren't all bad, the fun part of the sport should be celebrated.
Fortunately, now there' s a new kind of race looking to do just that by adding a little color to the race-day atmosphere.
The Color Run has exploded in its short existence. The first run in 2012 had 6,000 participants. For an inaugural event, this was a good number. One year later, 6,000 turned into 600,000, spreading across 50 states and three countries.
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And the numbers continue to grow.
Travis Snyder, founder and executive director of The Color Run, created the event as a way to provide a "nonthreatening running environment where professional and novice runners could come together and enjoy the purity of the sport." That means no clocks, no racing shoes and no age-group awards. What it does mean is plenty of fun.
For every kilometer of the course covered, each participant is blasted with a cloud of paint. By the end of the race, you're just a small part of the sea of color—and just in time for the party.
Dubbed "the happiest 5K on the planet," The Color Run is known for their after-race celebration where music, dancing and giant color throws create a party that is just as much fun as the race itself. If you still aren't ready to believe in the hoopla, check out any number of the YouTube videos created by fanatical fans, like this one.