The Color Run

Color Run Mardi Gras 2013!!!
Im still thinking of how much fun fun fun this was.
I mean first things first, go pick up your packet EARLY, like not the day of the race, but the days leading up TO the race. Those lines are atrocious. 2^nd thing, get there early & get to the front of the line as they let you go to «run» in waves. So the race may begin at 9a, but you may not get to start your course for 30 minutes after start time. 3^rd thing, look for the balloon arches as those are the areas where you get «colored» (close your mouth when you walk or run pass… You’ve been warned). And lastly, be careful on these uneven NOLA streets.
Have fun.

The Color Run is coming back to New Orleans on November 16, 2013 (at the Lake Front Arena). Here’s a review of my Color Run experience to help you decide if you’d like to participate or not. I recommend that you do. I participated in The Color Run Mardi Gras New Orleans, held in February 2013 at City Park. Registration for The Color Run is $ 40 (early) or $ 45 (regular) and I think totally worth the cost. If you’re part of a team of 4 or more, registration is $ 35 (early) and $ 40 (regular). The registration fee gets you a t-​shirt, sweatband, temporary tattoo, and a pack of color. Part of the registration fee is also donated to a local charity (announced shortly before the day of the event).
Not a runner? Not a problem. The Color Run is a 5k (3.2 miles, really not that far) and most of the participants walked it. General opinion seems to be that the slower you move the more color that you get. There is a color throw at the beginning of the event and at the end of the event, with color stations every 1k in between. So I think there were 4 or 5 color throws throughout the event which just didn’t seem like enough (minus half a star). I expected color to be thrown on me left, right and center. It was not. That was kind of disappointing. Volunteers toss the color on you (pretty gently) when you pass through the color stations. The color is dyed corn starch, pretty harmless stuff. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and a bandana around your mouth if you want to be cautious. Don’t be alarmed– you will see a rainbow when you blow your nose post-​Color Run.
You can participate as an individual runner or join/​form a team. As with most things, it’s definitely an event made more fun with friends. You want to wear as much white as possible to maximize the appearance of the color on you. Most participants wore their Color Run t-​shirt (available for pick up a few days before the event). Others got more creative wearing everything from white tutus to white bikinis to white hazmat suits.
The Color Run is a really fun event and I would absolutely do it again. There are other cities (those larger and more populous than New Orleans) where The Color Run registration sells out in a matter of minutes. Register for The Color Run New Orleans and have all of your friends in Los Angeles and Brooklyn be jealous that you got in and they didn’t.
In need of improvement:
–There was a staggered start that resulted in a whole lot of standing and waiting around for those ahead of you to move forward (minus half a star). If you’re impatient, get there well ahead of start time so that you’re at the front of the pack.