Get ready, State College. The world’s happiest 5K is returning to the world’s happiest valley this weekend, and it’s going to be a messy affair.
The Color Run – an international event that’s toured over 30 countries since 2011 – is unlike any other 5K race. There’s no sense of competition, and only one real goal — to have a good time. Runners start at one end of the race completely clean, and come out the other side a veritable rainbow of splattered paints.
Kristine Zangrillo – a spokesperson for the Penn State Homecoming Committee, which organized this weekend’s event – says that when the race came to State College last year, the response was overwhelming.
“We sold over ten thousand tickets, and we received so many positive responses,” she says. “People traveled hours just to be here for this event.”
On Sunday, September 14, roughly ten thousand people will once again congregate on the Penn State campus to add a splash of color in their lives. Starting at 9 a.m., the participants will wind their way through campus and past paint-throwing stations set up along the course.
Zangrillo volunteered at one of those stations last year, and says the experience is like no other.
“You can feel the excitement in the air when the race is about to start, and as soon as everyone starts running there’s so much energy,” she says. “Everyone starts off in white, and by the time they finish they’re just covered in all these colors.”
At the end of the course, Zangrillo says there will be a festival area set up to celebrate the day – including a live DJ, color throwing stations and other activities.
There’s no deadline to register for the race, but Zangrillo says that there is a cap on the total number of tickets. The cost to register as an individual runner is $45. You can sign up by clicking HERE. Use the coupon code “PENNSTATE” to get $5 off your registration cost.
“I think this is so popular because of the fact there’s no pressure – you’re just out there to have fun, and it’s something anyone can do,” Zangrillo says.
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