Some people run from fear and some people run towards a goal, but at the annual Color Run, participants run towards happiness and a healthy lifestyle. The Color Run, a 5K run in which runners are showered with colored powder at stations along the path, is owned and operated by The Color Run LLC. Although the organization is for-profit, they partner with many charities to raise money and awareness for those in need. Travis Snyder, the event producer combined both elements of donation and running for five kilometers in order to promote health awareness. The Color Run first started in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2011, to encourage professionals and novices to have fun together. Since then, thousands of participants have taken part in the run all across the globe.

This year, The Color Run was held on June 1st, 2019 in Citi Field. Upon arrival to the Mets-Willets train station, you could hear the music blasting from the stage and the DJ hyping everyone up. Runners, or walkers, started by going through the Met Stadium to around the entire parking lot. There were color stations set up throughout the path where volunteers threw colored powder at the runners as they ran through. At the finish line, each runner was presented a unicorn medal for completion of the 5K run and were welcomed back to the stage area to enjoy the music and get covered in more powder during the occasional color throws. Numerous sponsors were set up at the finish line as well and runners were able to get samples including fresh apples, yogurt, coconut water, cookies, and more. Overall, The Color Run was a fun experience despite the temporary staining from the powder. “Even though I have colors coming out of my nostrils, it was worth the experience,” said Melissa Cen ’19. Like many of the participants, I would say that the Color Run is definitely 5K worth running.

There are many other events similar to The Color Run that raise profits for those in need, such as the Night Nation Run, the Blacklight Slide, and the Bubble Run, to name a few. For most of these types of events, standard registration start from about $20-$30. However, registration comes free to those who volunteer to help out the day prior or the day of the event.

The Night Nation Run is the World’s 1st Running Music Festival with an epic main stage after party, featuring top headliner DJs, at the finish line. The course is filled with live DJs, light shows, bubble zones, and neon and black lights. The Night Nation Run aims to celebrate life, celebrate friends and family, and celebrate music. This year, it was held on June 8th, 2019 at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn and occurs around the same time every year. The Night Nation Run supports Stand Up To Cancer as their official charity. Stand Up To Cancer was created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly.

Blacklight Slide is a night event focused on UV Neon Glowing fun. You get to relive your childhood memories of playing in the park, but with an exciting twist. At the Blacklight Slide, you get the chance to go down slides filled with Neon Glow-in-the-Dark water, leaving your body glowing. There will be music from the top DJs in the country to which you can dance, play, and have the time of your life to. Blacklight Slide partners with Children’s Miracle Network, supporting the Phoenix Children’s Hospital with their proceeds. This year, Blacklight Slide will be held on July 12th and July 13th, 2019, also at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn.

In the Bubble Run, participants run, walk, dance, and play across 3 miles of real estate with foam bogs of colored suds are placed along the course. Not only is the Bubble Run for runners looking to have fun, it also brings about memories of car washes and bathtub bubble beards. The Bubble Run raise donations for the many charities they are partnered with. This year, The Bubble Run will be held on September 28th at the Jones Beach Amphitheater in Long Island, so be sure to mark your calendars!