The Color Run Cleveland – 2012

This Saturday I ran The Color Run in Cleveland.  If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a massive touring race where your time doesn’t matter (it’s really more of a 5k frolic) along the route you come to stations where you are doused in colored dust.  At the end there is a huge color party.  It raises money for a local charity and is one of the happiest events I have ever attended.

You are required to wear a white shirt at the start.  In your packet you also get a lovely white sweatband.  We made sure to get a clean before picture before we lined up.

We were right about in the middle of the mile of people at the starting line.  It was an ocean of white shirts as far as you could see.  The crowd of runners was so diverse.  From toddlers in running strollers to grandparents in wheelchairs.

It was tough to get photos along the route, so we’ll skip right to the end…  These pictures are post-race and post-color party.  The packets of color you get in your race kit are saved for the end party and are much more vibrant than the stuff you get hit with on the run.

A couple more photos from my phone.  Jared managed to stay clean.  He was such a good sport and held onto our towels and clean things.  Even after I dusted off and wiped off with a towel this is how I looked.  I wrapped the car seat with a fitted towel for the ride home.

// Tips

• If you really want to run, plan to get there early, REALLY early.  Like maybe even camp out in your car early.  If you are in any wave but the first one, you will run into some congestion at the color stations on the route.  You may even end up at a standstill for awhile.
• If you can, go the day before and pick up your packet.  I picked up mine at the race and it wasn’t too bad, but the line was pretty long and I would have rather been lining up at the starting line.
• Since your pace doesn’t really matter, your shoes don’t either.  Unless you have major arch issues, you can pretty much wear any comfy shoes you don’t mind getting dirty.  I wore Toms, since I didn’t want to get my new shoes colored and I knew I could just throw my Toms in the washer.
• It washes off your skin pretty well.  The only thing I had trouble with is blue and green, especially in places that it really got rubbed in (the inside crook of my elbow, under my arms, under the wristband, etc.).
• Have a clean bandana ready for the color toss at the end.  I thought it wouldn’t be too bad without it but the cloud of color is so thick it blocks out the sun for 15 seconds or so.  I’m blowing rainbows out my nose 2 days later.
• Have a blast!  Inevitably an event of this size can get a little disorganized, especially since volunteers are local.  Make the best of it and enjoy every moment.

All photos courtesy of me, Jared or Kaireese (my sister-in-law).  Please credit if using,