Last spring my youngest sister asked if my family would participate in this year’s Color Run. Last year it was in Lansing and she and my other sister went. This year it was right here in Grand Rapids. My sisters brought their kids for the first time, and my family joined them.
The Color Run is done to help raise money for charities local to the events. You can read all about how it works here.
Everyone who took part got a cool white t-shirt, a colored headband, a wristband, and a number paper to pin to their shirt. In the spirit of frivolity though, there were MANY tutus, some unicorn heads, a nice Yak head, a couple dressed as hot dogs in buns, one guy in nothing but a speedo ( number paper pinned “in front” ) etc. In our group, everyone except my wife and I wore rainbow capes. It was great for keeping track of our group in the crowd.
It’s called a “run” but there are clearly defined areas for the people who wish to walk. There were a number of wheel chairs, some walkers ( the kind you lean on, not people who walk ), and many many children.
Throughout the route there are “color stations” where people hold bottles filled with colored corn starch. They sprayed color all over the runners as they went by. I caught a full spray of yellow in my eye and and to flush it. 🙁
At the end of the race, everyone got a little packet of powder, and we all gathered in one place and threw it into the air at the same time. The picture at the top of this post is the aftermath. My daughter had a hard time breathing, so my sister put her cape over her face.
All in all it was a good time. I have blisters because I don’t Walk like that. Some sore muscles, but not bad. The color washed off mostly. I still have green streaks down the side of my head like an alien head wound. My chest is still blue. But it was a good experience.
