At the start of June 2014, JMG & I took part in The Color Run London, and ran our #Happiest5k with the LivingSocial crew!
All around the UK people are donning white t-shirts in the hope that they will get covered from head-to-toe in colour - a true celebration that summer has arrived!
Having run – what felt like – a whopping 10k with Nike’s We Own The Night ladies, I took the 5k in my stride and thoroughly enjoyed it. As we approached the start line, in the baking heat, a hoard of around 18,000 happy Color Runners warmed up next to us - still beaming from having met the Dulux dog!
Our race packs each contained a Color Run sweatband, t-shirt, poncho, temporary tattoos, and race number. You can buy leg warmers and other colourful paraphernalia when purchasing your ticket if you want to go all out. They also hand out free goodies on the day like sunglasses and socks post-warmup, so be sure to grab a place near the front within catching distance!
Everyone’s there for the same reason – to have as much fun as possible! And get covered in colourful Dulux powdered paint whilst doing so.
As we whizzed our way around Wembley Park, what surprised us most was that anyone of any age or fitness level can take part.
There are families pushing prams, parents holding hands with toddlers, and friends laughing their way around the course.
Race Rules
Rule #1 All participants are welcome… fast, slow, runner, walker, old, and young.
Rule #2 White shirt dress code at the official start line and ready to roll!
Rule #3 Completely colored Willy Wonka goodness at the finish.
Key kilometres are celebrated with bursts of powdered paint. As you pass they act as a cue for people to dance to the music or roll on the floor, covering cover themselves from head to toe in colour.
We completed our 5k run in just under 30-minutes, but you can take it at a much leisurely pace and walk it if you wish.
I would recommend taking part in The Color Run if you want to get together with your friends or loved ones and let your hair down or perhaps raise a few pounds for charity – lots of people were running in aid of Save The Children.
As you cross the finish line you’re handed packets of powdered paint to throw into the air and carry on the party! Wembley car park has never looked so good!
Check out the website for details of Color Run action happening near you: http://www.thecolorrun.co.uk/
More about The Color Run…
The Color Run™, also known as the Happiest 5k on the Planet, is a unique color race that celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality, and giving back to the community. Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometre, un-timed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometre. The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Color Festival,” using more colored powder to create happiness and lasting memories, not to mention millions of vivid color combinations. Trust us, this is the best post-5k party on the planet! With only two rules, the idea is easy to follow:
- Wear white at the starting line
- Finish plastered in color
Now the single largest event series on the planet, The Color Run is exploding since our debut event in January of 2012 and will grow from over 50 events and 600,000 participants in 2012, to over 100 events and over a million participants in 2013.
Be Healthy. Be Happy. Be You.
The lovely team at LivingSocial www.livingsocial.co.uk kindly sponsored our experience so that I could share it on the blog.