Our seven-year old niece/cousin Erin, whose singular devotion to the unicorn has led to her wearing the same pink and purple Halloween costume each year since 2007, would have loved the Color Run, billed the happiest 5K on the planet.
Erin’s favorite magical creature played a prominent role in the run happy jog, which asks participants to confirm their belief in unicorns right in the registration form.
In addition to unicorns, we saw tutus, feather boas, super heroes and plenty of color as we wound our way through the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay campus on a perfect late September morning.
I took the pre-race advice to wear all white very seriously and ended up looking like a giant Tic Tac, but my all-white ensemble didn’t last long as I trotted through clouds of pink, yellow, orange and blue clouds, high-fiving some of the jolliest race participants I’ve ever seen.
I passed a trio wearing an interesting tuxedo/tutu combination and they bid me a cheery hello, I gave a dignified nod to a group of tutu-wearing gentlemen and I high-fived a tiny girl wearing a crown and holding her friendly dad’s hand.
I can’t say I ran for a cause on Sunday. The Color Run is a for profit organization that raises awareness and some funds for charities it supports. This year they hope to contribute $1 million through Global Citizen, a charity curator. With 7,000 registered runners per race paying fees between $35 and $40, and Color Runs popping up all over the country, the Color Run will rake in much more than that over the course of a year.
Still, I admire the organization’s ingenuity. I appreciate its ability to spread joy and to get people out and moving on a sleepy Sunday morning.
And, like my niece and the Color Run, I salute the unicorn.
A sunny start to the colorful race.
These two formed just one of several daddy daughter duos I spotted on the race.
How can you not smile as you run through a rainbow, surrounded by butterflies and tutus? I’m choosing to believe the unicorn strapped to the middle guy’s waist is just bashful.
Note the unicorn hat.
Tuxedos and tutus.
It really is the happiest 5K on the planet. This is the view approaching the first color chute…
…and here we are in the first color chute, which turned everyone into a nice, friendly shade of pink. Sweet.
Caught a glimpse of Batman on the route.
The last color station, blue, turned the slate sidewalk into a shimmering blue sea.
Post race cool down. Apparently, real men wear tutus. Cool.
Here’s my group, Debbie, me, Todd and Catherine. Woo hoo for the Color Run!
Source:
http://mollybandme.com/2013/09/30/chasing-unicorns-during-the-happiest-5k-on-the-planet/
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