The Color Run: The Happiest 5K on the Planet

This was my second year doing The Color Run in NYC (Brooklyn).  Last year was such a blast we had to do it again and I am sure we will keep doing it as long as they keep having them.  Basically, it is a 5K and everyone starts out in white and there are different color stations along the run where different color dust is thrown at you and by the end everyone looks like a colorful rainbow.  It is a great time for women, men, kids and people of all ages.  And if you don't run, no problem! We didn't run either. We walked and jogged, partially because it was 90 degrees and humid and partially because we don't run and it didn't matter. It truly is the happiest 5K on the planet.

 

 

You can see the sea of white above at the start line. Everyone's crisp and clean appearance was about to change.  There was a ton of energy and good vibes coming from the crowd.  So when they counted down and the run started we actually ran (for a little bit.)  I noticed more people walking this year than in the past and I am sure it had to do with the hot and muggy weather but it didn't stop us from having a good time.

 There we are after hitting the first color station. Splattered with pink and ready to move on.  As you can see it's a laid back race where tons of people stop to take photos along the way.

As you can see the next stop was blue.  You can also see from the photos that Floyd Bennett Field was a great location for this run because of the wide space for the huge amount of participants. There was plenty or room to step to the side and take photos, take a break or whatever.

 

Above is my hubby jumping from excitement after yellow.  We really started to feel the heat at this point but kept on trucking. 

Above you can see us before and after we ran through Oompaloompa Land aka the orange color station.  This was the final color stop so it was off to the finish line.

 

 

After the finish there was a stage set up with music and tents all around with free swag.  Everyone was dancing around the stage and every so often everyone threw their color packets up in the air and you got covered in even more color.  Last year I was right in the middle of the crowd and I couldn't breathe because of the thick cloud of color so this year I stuck to the outskirts but still had just as much fun and more importantly I could breathe! 

I had a blast both years but I had to say the one disappointing factor was that last year they had professional photographers set up taking photos in booths and you could order online afterwards but this year they didn't have that.  I was really disappointed because we got amazing photos from them last year but at least I had my own camera.  

Would I recommend doing The Color Run? Without a doubt!! It truly is a great time for everyone. I dragged my hubby last year who wanted nothing to do with it and this year he couldn't wait.  A few words of advice, once registration opens for your city, sign up!! It fills really fast in most cities.  Also it is well worth the money. It costs between $40-$50 but that includes the race, a great quality tshirt, a sweatband, a packet of color and some fake tattoos.  Really a great deal! So go out and sign up for the Happiest 5K on the Planet!! Maybe I'll see you in Brooklyn next year!