Color Fun Fest 5K- Race Review
It's a great idea sometimes to do a race FOR FUN. No goals of a PR, just go out and have a fun time with friends. If you're in a rut this is a great idea to help you fall in love with running again. Or it'll help renew your craving for adventure!
So I took part in the Color Fun Fest 5K here in Phoenix, AZ this weekend. It's still a fairly new race with a few kinks to work out. But overall a really fun run. Much like all color runs, you get "paint" (dyed cornstarch) thrown at you and end up a colorful mess at the end.
The only real issues I had with the race were at the packet pick-up. It was held at a local running shop so no big expo or anything. But that's not a problem for me. The issues were the organization. It seemed very chaotic and the guys handing out the t-shirts had no idea what was going on. I stood in line behind a guy for about fifteen minutes while the volunteer was trying to figure out what "extra" swag a runner had ordered. Also, because I was an ambassador for this race, I was told I would get a media pass and to notify the parking volunteers that I was "media" so I wouldn't have to pay for parking when I got to the race. It's $10 a car. Not that big of a deal but these days every penny counts.
When I asked race officials for the media pass at packet pick-up, they said to pick it up AT the race. I voiced my concerns about proving to the parking volunteers that I was an ambassador but she told me not to worry. When I got there, of course, the parking guy had no idea what I was talking about. After pleading with him for a minute or two, he ushered us along the way with a "waffles" and we drove on. I have since learned that "waffles" was the nickname they had for one of the race coordinators. Of course, it only made me crave pancakes.....Nevertheless, everyone WAS very friendly, and we didn't have to pay for parking so it all worked out for the best. Keep in mind, I only write all this so the race officials can understand the issues we runners and ambassadors had, and can fix them in the future so those of you considering participating won't run into the same problems. The fact those were the only issues I had, speaks volumes that it was still a great run!
Now on to the good stuff! My friends decided to run the night wave. We donned colorful wigs (which everyone loved... fellow runners gave thumbs up, high-fives, and cheered us on thanks to our "costumes"), we put on the race shirts, and decked ourselves with some glow bracelets and the likes. If you felt like spending a little, they had tents at the race with lots of fun light-up swag you could purchase.
I will say one of the best features about this race is it's EXTREMELY family oriented. All kids 12 and under got in FREE, and there were tons of families participating. The kids really loved it! Granted for those of us without kids, we felt like we should've downed a few drinks, but I guess that sort of "fun run" is better served for the St. Patty day runs! Haha! They race started fairly promptly at 7:30pm and they divided everyone into waves. This way every runner got the full chance to be blasted with color along the way! At each "color station" there were black lights that made for some great photo opps! I saw lots of people taking pics along the way, so I wasn't the only one!
The finish line was a big dance party. A DJ had music and lights flashing, everyone snapping photos and dancing. The DJ also threw out a bunch of free stuff to the crowd as they enjoyed the music. We would've stuck around but we were pretty dirty and hungry. All in all it was a fun time and I would recommend running this race for any family out there.
My suggestion is make sure you were old clothes. You WILL get FILTHY. A change of clothes or at least a towel for your car afterwards is also a good idea. And most of all, make sure your going for FUN... because that's JUST what you're going to get!
Phoenix was the first stop on the Color Fun Fest 5K tour. To see where they're headed next check out their website here: http://colorfunfest5k.com/
If you have any other question about the race, comment below and I'll be sure to answer! Happy Running!
UPDATE: If you'd like to see what the DAYtime run was like, check out my fellow ambassador's blog for her full review! http://lindseysadventuresinwonderland.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/the-color-fun-fest-5k-review/
Great honest review! Hopefully they will get some of those kinks worked out before the next race! I love all of the pics! Cheers, Tara
ReplyDeleteNothing too major. They'll get it running smoothly I'm sure! That's what the first race is all about! Thanks again for the hook up Tara!
DeleteDo they throw the color at night as well ?
ReplyDeleteYep! We were there for the night run! I liked the black lights and everything at night. Definitely makes it more unique.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteGreetings of the new year 2016 !
We at The Color World, take immense pleasure in introducing ourselves as supplier and exporter of Food grade certified Holi colors. We have exotic range of color shades. All our colors are certified by International SGS laboratory for Non toxicity, skin friendliness and free from heavy metals (EN 71-3). Our colors are 100% natural colors.
Flying Color Range : We offer 12 shades of Holi colors.
Red, Pink, Magenta, Parrot Green, Dark Green, Purple, Sky Blue, Dark Blue, Yellow and Orange etc.
Available Packaging : 70 gms plain sachet, 100 gms plain sachet, 10 kg bag, 20 kg bag, 35 kg fiber drum.
We can also provide you customize packing (in terms of sachet weights and brand) as per the requirement.
In addition to colors, we supply other holi event accessories (like squeeze bottles, t-shirts, sun glasses, neon glasses, head gears, nose masks, fancy masks etc). We are launching color blasters very soon too!
Looking forward to hear soon from you.
- -
The Color World - Flying Holi Colors
m: +91-9075017088, +91-9028007088
e: tcw.flyingcolors@gmail.com, tushar@thecolorworld.com
w: www.thecolorworld.com
a: Pune, India
Let's spread the colors together!
Color Run is the only event where you get to party once you cross the finish line. The event is immensely popular all over the world and although runners do not receive any prizes, they are showered with colour run powder, which is made of corn starch. Color Run is not your typical fun run event because it puts more emphasis on fun. Even first-time runners are welcome and for families who are looking for a unique way to bond with children, Color Run is a great idea to consider. Participants need to pay for the registration fees, which may vary from region to region.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures tell so much about this event. Undeniably, it was fun and colorful! Color Fun Runs bring family, friends and local communities together for a kaleidoscope of fun! They are also a creative, colorful fundraising activity. You can also raise funds through your registration fees, race kits and sponsorship opportunities.
ReplyDeleteNice blog very informative For more informative blog visit Festival With Colour Powder
ReplyDelete