Who knew that running a 5-km run would be so colorful? Ranging from yellows, pinks, blues and green powders thrown at you as you run, to a blast of colour at the after bash, hundreds of runners, walkers, strollers, and people in wheelchairs joined together on Saturday, May 14 at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre for the Color Me Rad run.
Color Me Rad is a run which loosely combines itself with the Hindu celebration “Holi”. The diverse group of participants, ranging from babies to seniors, climbed the hills of Cloverdale, dashed the trails of the local greenery, in between the horse stables, behind the small pond and through the finish line, all while being bombarded with shades of happiness.
There is no timer for this race, only a measurement of how colorful you get at the end of it. There are color stations throughout the run, consisting of non-toxic corn starch based food colored powder. At the end, everyone gathered at the stage for music, games and contests, while continuing to be bombed with color. This year, the each color had a smell added with purple as grape and pink as bubble-gum.
Color Me Rad is a for-profit business that contributes to local communities such as FeedOne, which is an organization that provides meals for hungry children around the world. For more information about future events, visit www.colormerad.com.
– Shana Vanderark is an author and mother. Follow her on Instagram @ShanaMamaa