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The Color Run, known as the original color crazy race, will brush through El Paso on Nov. 15 as one of its 240 events in its 2014
Kaleidoscope Tour.
“I wanted to create an event that would encourage people to get out and run just for the fun of it,” said Travis Snyder, founder and CEO of The Color Run. “I wanted people to enjoy the community experience of running together, and I wanted to add something a little out of the ordinary to the race, something that could serve as a sort of visual reward for all the hard work these runners put into training for the event.”
Founded in 2011, Snyder’s inspiration for the colorful 5-K run came from his experiences with day-glow events, Disney’s World of Color and various color festivals. Having created many other high-endurance events, Snyder wanted to introduce the healthy runs to a spectrum of colorful events.
“Seeing how happy The Color Run has made all different kinds of people has been very rewarding,” Snyder said. “It really is an event for all fitness levels, ages and backgrounds. Our tag line is ‘The Happiest 5k on the Planet’ for a reason. That line was created after seeing how happy it made people (and) we take a lot of satisfaction in the fact that our events lead people to have a more healthy and
active lifestyle.”
In an effort to encourage participation, the event is not timed, and each runner may take as long as they would like to complete it. Athletes and first-time runners alike are welcomed to participate in the events with the common goal of enjoying the healthy activity. Participants are sprayed with the famously colored powder at each kilometer mark and are asked to dress in white clothes that they won’t mind having covered in paint-like substances.
“I did color run with my friend (last year) and it was so much fun. This is the type of race you do not want to do alone,” alumni Sergio Maldonaldo said. “The race was different, the atmosphere was not competitive. It was more about enjoying the moment rather than seeking first place. All my roommates and I signed up (for this year’s event). This is the perfect first race for anyone. Great way
to get motivated.”
The growing event will visit more than 50 countries during the 2014 Kaleidoscope Tour, which introduces life-sized kaleidoscope triangles, viewfinder kaleidoscopes, confetti-filled balloons, bubbles and rainbow arches at the finish line. The idea for including kaleidoscopes in the races is that they demonstrate the beauty of motion and change, tying in with The Color Run’s goal of inspiring people to run for fun.
Visit thecolorrun.com/el-paso to purchase tickets. Prices range from $45 for individual participants and $40 for participants in teams of four or more. Each participant will receive a custom T-shirt, a tricolor headband, a shoulder bag, temporary tattoos and more. Deluxe packages can also be purchased for an additional $25, which includes a T-shirt, headband, hat, sunglasses, bracelet, socks, souvenir magnet, color packet and temporary tattoos.
Joseph Esposito may be reached at [email protected].
