The "Happiest 5k on the Planet" made its way to Columbia on Saturday morning. Thousands of people participated in The Color Run’s "Tropicolor" World Tour, where they ran an un-timed, five-kilometer footrace surrounded by inflatable palm trees, music and clouds of brightly colored powders.
Since 2011, The Color Run has been a for-profit company that partners with charities across the United States, using its 5k race to promote charitable causes as well as a healthy and happy lifestyle. For the Columbia event, The Color Run partnered with the Historic Columbia Foundation and Girls on the Run of Columbia, a charitable organization for young girls in the third through eighth grade with a goal of teaching girls to be independent, happy and healthy, including training for a 5k race.
People of all ages and all fitness levels participate, wearing white T-shirts ready to be blasted with colorful powder. Many of the participants in Columbia were USC students. Third-year management student Sam Shea was excited to run the "Tropicolor" road race for the first time.
“Our friends kind of forced us into it, but we’re excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Shea said.
Third-year psychology student Courtney Newton was also a first-time "color runner."
“I know that you run and you get sprayed with color and I’m kind of scared about it, but I think it’ll be fun,” Newton said before the run.
When participants finished the race, they stayed in the park and enjoyed music, dancing, photo opportunities and ‘color throws,’ or many people throwing colored powder into the air to create a spectacular color cloud.
When second-year finance and global supply chain and operations management student Cody Hodge finished the race, he stayed in the park to enjoy the festivities.
“I had a great time,” Hodge said. “It’s not my first 5k, but it’s my first Color Run.”
Those who participated in The Color Run painted their Saturday morning orange, pink, blue, purple and yellow for charity, health and happiness.