Hundreds of runners gathered in Chicago Sunday, June 7, to participate in the annual Color Run. This was the fourth consecutive year it was held in Chicago.
“I participate in [The Color Run] just for the fun of it. Being able to get all messy and colorful and the DJ at the end makes it a lot of fun,” Sarah Combis (11) said.
Contestants who actually ran the race began at 7:45 a.m., while people who preferred to walk started at 8:30 a.m.
“I ran for the most of [the race] because I wanted to get to the colors faster. I actually didn’t get tired because I wasn’t concentrating on my breath or anything. I was just having fun,” Ashley Sarsfield (11) said.
The run lasted around an hour with a new colored dye thrown on the contestants about every 10 minutes, depending on how fast they ran. The colors included pink, orange, blue, yellow and silver, a color that was introduced this year.
“[The color dye] made me really feel like I was actually a part of the run. It made me feel really cool. The rain didn’t make it any better. It made the dye clump and stick to your skin. Other than that, I loved it,” Sarsfield said.
At the finish line, participants were given medals to signify their achievements and a few colored dye packets to throw in the air at the concert that was performed afterward.
“At the end of the run there’s a big party. There’s a DJ, and they throw a bunch of free stuff into the crowd. Every couple of minutes, they have a color throw. It’s a lot of fun and my favorite part of the entire run,” Combis said.
The Color Run will be back in Chicago for a special Color Run Night September 5, featuring new glow-in-the-dark colored dye, glowing special edition tees and black light headlamps.
