10 Tips For Running The Color Run

Planning to run The Color Run? Wondering what the color is they use for the color run and looking for tips? 

Little Monkey and I ran The Color Run in San Jose.  I saw they had a unicorn medal now, so how could we pass that up?  Little Monkey is 7 and the 5k distance is perfect for her.  She was really excited “to get messy”.  

Here are 10 tips for running a color run.

1. Wear White– This seems like a no brainer, but I always see so many people wearing black or a dark color at the color races.  It makes it hard to see how colorful you get. 
2. Be Mindful at Color Stations– If you want more color, run towards the outside where the people are throwing the color powder.  If you want less color then run in the center of the color station.
3. Wear a Bandana Over Your Nose and Mouth– The color powder is like a big cloud at each color station.  It isn’t fun to breath it in.  Tie a bandana around your neck and pull it over your mouth and nose as your run through the color area. 
4. Wear Sunglasses or Goggles– The color powder can get in your eyes pretty easily, so wear something to protect them.
5. You Can Pick Up Your Packet Race Morning– Yes, you can pick it all up race morning, but a lot of people do, so plan accordingly and get there early.
6. They Don’t Have Free Gear Check– At the race I ran you could rent a locker for $5, so I would plan to leave everything in the car that I didn’t want to run with.
7. Put Your Phone In a Ziplock Bag– The powder dust gets everywhere!  Protect your phone and seal it up in a baggy.
8. Blue Sometimes Stains a Little– I have run a bunch of color races and for some reason the blue is the only color I sometimes have trouble scrubbing off.  I wouldn’t put that color all over your face.  FYI 
9. If You Want to Run Fast Start Early– They send off waves every couple minutes.  If you want to actually run then you want to be in one of the first couple of waves.  These races attract a lot of families and walkers, which is great, but if you are further back it is really hard to run through the big crowd of non-runners. 
10. Bring a Change of Clothes– After the race you can brush a lot of the color off, but you probably won’t want to get in your car wearing all you color dusty clothes.  

We ran through a total of 4 colors and a foam area.  It was tons of fun to do with my daughter.  I definitely recommend doing The Color Run with other people.  It could be fun by yourself, but definitely more fun with other people.  

Have you ever ran a color run?

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