The Color Run

Known to be the «Happiest 5k on the Planet,» The Color Run — founded in March 2011 — promotes healthiness and happiness by gathering a large group of people to run while they are doused in colorful powder paint. It’s the Holi of America that occurs throughout the year.
I participated in the evening version, The Color Run Night, in Brooklyn. While the event itself was fun (but I definitely don’t think it’s the happiest 5k on the planet…), the event was extremely poorly executed.
First, the packet/​bib pick up happened during the day time in Prospect Park. You have got to realize that most of the participants live in Manhattan, and that they also WORK during the days… I would be surprised if less than 10% of the participants actually went all the way to Prospect Park on a weekday to pick up their packets. Yes, there was the option to pick up the packet on the night of the event, BUT…
Second, this line to pick up packet at the event was extremely long. My boyfriend and I must have waited about 20 minutes. They should have gotten more volunteers to head this effort.
Third, the transportation to and from the subway was dismal. The school buses picked people from the subway station to the venue, vice versa. However, the buses didn’t leave until they were completely full… I was sitting in the hot, non-​Air conditioned bus for 20 minutes each way before it finally left. This was my FIRST and LAST impression of the event… definitely did not start or leave on a high note!
For the event itself, each participant was given a special glow-​in-​the-​dark tshirt, black light headlamp, and glow tattoes. We ran 5K around the venue, with about 4 stations where the volunteers threw colored powder at you. At the finish line, there is a glow dance party with live music.

Good event in general, but minus 3 stars for the bus service to and from the subway. They waited until each bus was full, drivers chatted outside while we sat in a hot bus. Quite annoying final impression (this is for color run 2015)

The Color Run lives up to its name of «The Happiest 5k on the Planet».
If you sign up early or with a group you can get cheaper tickets. There is also usually a discount code which you an Google. The packet that you pick up before the race includes a free tshirt, sweat bands, wrist bands, Color Run tattoos, and bibs w/​pins. Make sure you don’t lose the bib, as that also gives you a bag of color at the end of the race to play with.
Check-​in is really early in the morning, 7am-​9am. They provide free school buses that shuttles you between the Brooklyn College subway stop and the Aviator Center until 1:30pm. At the Aviator Center, you can check in your bags. They also provide Porta Potties with hand sanitizer stands.
Since there are so many people, they send groups out in waves from 9am-9:45am. At every ¾ of a mile or so, there is a section of color, where volunteers spray you with color. If you want to be covered, run nearer to the volunteers. Careful they don’t spray you in the face. I got some in my eye and stained my contact orange. The color comes out from clothing pretty well, but had to scrub a few times to get all of it off my skin. I recommend putting your phone in a ziploc bag.
After the race, they had a huge dance party with the DJ amping up the crowd. He had them throw the colored powder into the air so it kind of looked like Indian Holi.
Make sure you get all the free food before and after the race. The vendors were amazing. I got so many free Kind Bars, Vita Coconut Water, Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars, Chia Pods, etc.
Be prepared to get stained and colorful. The quote for the day, ««Why is it that every time I turn around, you look a little bluer?»

Did the color run with my friend and her family and we had a freaking blast. Yes we didn’t run since we had little children with us but we walked then jogged and we all made the 5k an awesome time. I would so totally do it again. The event was organized well and the staff was awesome super helpful .
There was plenty of parking and they also provided shuttle buses from the train to the event which was pretty cool .The pre run was awesome with dj, stretching and even some yoga warmups. Totally enjoyed the vendors which gave out free water, sparlking ice, coffee and ice cream plus snacks. .
make sure you wear clothes you don’t care about because it will get damage but it was so worth and so much fun. I must of taken at least 2 showers that night so I wouldn’t look like a rainbow smurf lmao haha. if you ever get a chance do it. 5k with friends equals a fun time don’t worry if your not fit you can walk which was great and bring the little ones I loved seeing there faces because they were able to be messy with out getting in trouble lol
I totally enjoyed each Color stations and the volunteers did a good job getting color on you. I liked that they never hit your face with powder. They also provided Water stations for drinking or just dumping the water on you which ever u wanted to do lol.

Did the Color Run with friends and it was absolutely fun!
Given that most people just walked and didn’t really run the 5K. So glad cause I’m totally not prepared for it lol.
Pre and post run party was awesome… we were gathered as a part of a big group at the starting line as we waited the group before us go through the first stop. While waiting we get psyched and pumped up by a pretty good emcee. Jump up and down and scream at the top of your lungs it’s 9 in the freakin morning anyways. Color stations are pretty spaced out throughout the course and two water stations available for those who cannot take the heat, those who actually ran and those who needs water to dump over their friends heads. At the end of the course we were given a color pack. As if it wasnt enough that people at the color stations sprayed me with powdered blue, purple, yellow and green. No it wasn’t! Better not miss the party afterwards. If you managed to dodge these powdered colors through the course you shouldn’t miss it at the party. Get all pumped and dance to the music. It’s adrenaline. No drugs or alcohol served at this event. It’s a family oriented run.
There are vendors too serving up protein ice cream bars, yogurt, juice and and abundance of bottled water.
Porta potties are plenty too.
Before leaving the area pass by the people with blow dryers in hand to shake/​blow off that excess powder all over you if you haven’t sweat enough for the colors to stick on you.
Definitely bring extra clothes, plastic anything to sit on for your car and some wet wipes. It took about two to three long showers to get all that green stuff off my hair, ears nose and skin.
Good, not so clean, fun!

I think this event deserves more than the measly 3.5 stars it has on Unilocal.For my friends, gf and I; this was our first color run and we didn’t know what to expect. So here are the top ten reasons why you should participate in the Color run:
1. Big parking lot so you don’t need to worry about whether you’ll find a space.
2. T-​shirt, two sticker tattoos, headband, wristband and free pack of color that comes with your registration pack
3. Emcee and DJ did a great job getting the crowd excited and riled up from the start of the event till the end of the event
4. If you’re not a runner, you don’t need to worry about being out of shape. Only 5% of the crowd ran. Everyone walked the 5k.
5. Color stations were fun and the volunteers did a great job getting color on you. They never socked me in the face with powder.
6. Water stations were great. Not really for drinking, but for throwing water at your friends.
7. All the free stuff from sponsors and vendors. Granola bars, ice cream, water, smoothies, yogurt, drinks, etc…
8. The run itself. Over 5k registered but the space was big enough that it didn’t feel cramped.
9. The after party. The event staff, especially the Emcee did a remarkable job getting the crowd into it by queuing up EDM songs.
10. The Color! They were very generous distributing color packs at the end of the event. Nothing like dropping a beat into a moshpit with hundreds of color packs launched in the air.
Great job Color Run. Great job indeed. We will be back — Electric Run, here we come…

The Color Run 2014 at Floyd Bennett Field Brooklyn was soooo much fun. I went alone since my friends weren’t «bout dat life“which was totally fine because I made new friends and was encouraged by others.
Parking — is ample and free.
The vendors — free water and snacks.
Music — ROCKS! Dj’s are awesome and get you pumped for the race. «Turn down for what!!»
The terrain — old airplane Tarmac. Not much scenery but the blue sky is beautiful.
I would recommend this to the no pressure runners who aren’t pressed to finish in record times. There is a celebration for all finishers!

This was our first color run and we had a great time! Great vendor services and lots of excitement during the run.

I did the Queens Color Run today at CitiField! It was beyond fun! I can’t wait to do it again when it’s back in NY! If you give this less than 5 stars, you are a grump. Quick tips below:
— Girls, wear a tank top so you can easily take it off when you put on the Color Run t-​shirt.
— You get a packet with a t-​shirt, a sweat band, and tattoos when you check in there.
— Upon finishing, you get an awesome Color Run bag and bag of powder to party with.
— After run is over, there’s a huge dance party in the festival area.
— Today’s vendors gave out free water bottles, t-​shirts, allergy medicine, salad, chips and hummus, ice cream, Honest tea, chips, apples, Kind bars, and more.
— There are port-​a-​potties.
— Either come with someone who can hold all your things or check it all in.
— Check in between 7:30am-9am.
— Race started around 9:20am. For me, it took 30 minutes.
— Feel free to walk the entire thing!
— You can stay color-​free if you run in the middle of the lane. If you’re on the side, you’ll get covered. There were about 5 points where volunteers spray powder everywhere.
Sign up with your family and/​or friends, and create a team so it’s cheaper. Also google «color run discount code» to get another $ 5 off.
This race is not serious at all. It’s almost a joke. So if you are looking for a serious hardcore run, this isn’t for you!

It wasn’t as colorful as others I’ve been too…
Needless to say, I am glad my team and I were in the 9 a.m. heat on 9÷8÷13. My Brooklyn friends and I traveled to the end of the 2 Train and were speedily transported to Aviation Sports by 8 a.m. via a school bus that brought back horrible elementary school memories of rickety seats and bad rear hydraulics. My teammates traveling down from CT found ample parking quickly. There were ample portable bathrooms, plenty of sponsors handing out Kind Bars, coconut water, and ice cream bars. A colorful unicorn made us congo dance to the starting line. Whitney Houston sang us «The Star Spangled Banner» from beyond the grave to honor ⁹⁄₁₁ and get us amped… in theory.
The run started… and…well…the NJ Color Run doused us with more color both in terms of quantity and actual color. Green was missing this year and replaced with a water station! I mean, I like water while running… errrr…speed walking… errrr…trudging, yes, trudging through a 5K on a humid Sunday morning, but I’d rather get doused in green powder, dammit! Each color station wasn’t really being generous, just letting people run by as they chatted, except for the blue color station. They were on their game! TRUST: my left armpit was still hued blue three days post-​race, despite multiple showers and body scrubs. Also, in my last Color Run, there were two water stations throughout the course. We only had one this time. We got a little jipped, I feel!
Well, this race wouldn’t dissuade me from doing the Color Run or any of its copycat runs again. I enjoy it! I like being colorful! I enjoy hocking blue loogies and having green snot! Still, this once could have been executed a hair better.

Did my first color run today and will definitely do one again someday! There is a great warm up, they really get your energy going, there is this creative fun vibe to the whole thing and you feel this closeness with other people. There was no douche-​baggery, no runner show-​offs and people that were super hardcore, it is just plain fun, no pressure. I mean how awesome is it to be covered head to tow in color, it is like a fantasy come true! LOL!

So much fun! This race was simply a great time. It was extremely organized and had a great number of stands and products available. Lots of give aways. Even picking up the packet pre race a couple days before was very very easy. Running was fun and very encouraging and the best part at the end was people cheering you on.
This race is supposed to be just fun, so if you want a serious 5k with serious time, I would not recomend it.

It’s clear why this race is called the Happiest 5K on the Planet! What a blast with organized fun.
Free shuttles (yellow cheesebuses) were provided for everyone from Flatbush ave/​Bklyn College train stop (²⁄₅ trains). Easy check-​in process and you’re given a t-​shirt, headband, temporary tattoos and your number.
The race is «run» in multiple waves to stagger the crow and the first race starts at 8am.
I think the people who are really runners do it earlier. We started after 9am and no one ran or jogged. But by then, it was also 85 degrees so we took our time. About every ½ mile or so, you get to a color zone (pink, orange, blue, green, etc) and the volunteers douse you with the color. (tip: keep your mouth closed, lol).
The best part is after the race, there is a huge stage with a DJ and hypemen who throw out prices and encourage a huge color toss. Most fun I’ve had in a long time.
The color came out easily out of my hair and body, but I refuse to wash the shirt!

Does your first «5K» count if you walked the whole time? I loved this about the Color Run. I had been looking forward to The Color Run since my friend and I decided to «start training» in late December. Unfortunately, I hurt my knee, tried the running after, and just knew it wasn’t gonna happen.
I was a little nervous that I’d look like a complete tool WALKING at a Color RUN. No judgments if you walked, took a nap, (I didn’t), skipped, crawled, as long as you were there and had a smile on your face, you were perfect.
This was the most fun I had in a while. It was a gorgeous day, surprisingly not sweltering despite the 95 degree forecast. It started early which helped with the heat factor. I drove to Brooklyn from Long Island, which was a breeze. Parking was excellently organized at the Aviator Sports and Events Center. After one or two Red Bulls, I was ready!
To me, this was an event not a 5K. People were dressed up in costumes, of which some were so inventive (the Breaking Bad bunch.) Everyone was happy and friendly. The volunteers, I must bow down to. Everyone I came upon, was super friendly and helpful. The place was packed and had lots of activities before the actual run happened. A group Zumba class, free samples of Greek Yogurt pops, KIND bars and an AMAZING caffeine infused fruit juice I wish I got the name of!
There were plenty of port-​a-​potties which are always gross, but very convenient.
Lots of and music amped everyone up, at the starting line. There were volunteers throwing goodies into the crowd and a video crew filming the anxious runners.
The color thrown throughout the run isn’t insane. You get a nice color going through the stations. The after party is where you will be basically unrecognizable to even your best friend.
I had such a great time amongst that crowd and watching everyone called up on stage. I felt like I was at a rave, without being trashed! I LOOOOOVED THAT. Great music, people dancing, people with blue teeth, jumping and having a great time.
At the dance party, the color was a little overwhelming at times but the crowd and the people on stage overshadow that.
I loved at the end the volunteers announced that «if you pick up 10 pieces of trash (which there was a ton on the ground,) you get a bumper sticker. I was happy to help the clean-​up process and get a sticker to boot!
I had such a great time at this event. The only thing I wish was rather than the leaf blowers blowing the powdered color off of you at the end, there was a sink/​shower or something. My hands were plastered and caked on color. I had to drive and itch my eye! Wear sunglasses! Make sure you bring towels for the car seats if you plan of driving to a Color Run.
Another tip I suggest… read the «what to do before the run» instructions regarding removing the color from hair and skin. Luckily, I have dark hair, but my friend has been rocking blue hair for the past three days.
I can not wait till I can do this again. Besides the charity aspect, the fun was well worth the scrubbing and the fun I had.

I had a blast volunteer for the color run. I got a color run t-​shirt trying to represent the orange team. I call it the oompa lumpa zone since I was covered in orange color cornstarch. It was some dirty work, but I had so much fun. The best part was I got away with throwing things at people. Lol.
From a volunteers POV, it was some crazy site to see the runners begin the race. It seems like a bunch of zombies coming towards me. When runners came through the finish line, it was great to see how crazy some people are. This guy roll on the floor and then did push ups just to get all the orange color on his shirt. Another guy came to me and told me to make him a ginger. It was my pleasure granting him that request.
It was a bit hard to get all the cornstarch color off of me when I got home. I recommend getting that cleaned off at the beach. The cleansing of the sea salt and sand washed it away quick.

Color Run! WOOO! This was my very 1^st 5K. Personally I think it rocks. This isn’t the type of run where everyone is hard core running it out — a lot of people were walking too. They squirt you with colored cornstarch every 1K and at the end they have a color party. The party at the end was awesome and I got completely covered in color!
When you register they give you a shirt, sweatband, tattoo and your running number. At the event they have lots of cool giveaways as well.
The one negative comment I have is that the color stained my hair and skin. I will also say that I went a bit buck wild with it at the end in the color party so I expected it a bit. For me, anywhere I was sweating stained my skin. The biggest bummer is my hair — I am reallllllly praying it comes out in shower #3 tonight.
Overall a really amazingly fun time! I will definitely participate again next year!

The tagline is inapt. And they had some volunteers who are inept.
I’m not a fan.
If you’re looking to actually RUN a 5K, this is not for you. It’s more like a big colorful party and most people were walking in large groups. That wasn’t such a big deal because I went on Sunday and it was very hot. They call it «The Happiest 5K on Earth» and I was not very happy. I also don’t understand how they think getting colored cornstarch on you will make you happy.
What made this so low rated for me was the dick-​tastic ass at the first color station who deliberately threw a handful of powder right in my eye and then laughed to his douchey friends «I got him!». And then when I stopped and called him out on it, he just mumbled «Oh man, I’m sorry». That’s BS. You weren’t sorry, you threw it in my eyes deliberately and let me just tell you, it bothered my contact lenses a lot.
The other color stations were more fun and the people there actually tossed the colors on you in a reasonable manner rather than trying to aim for my face.
Finish line water was a little disorganized. A banana or something would have been nice.
On the plus side, I thought the location was pretty cool, even if it was far out and there was no shade. And I did like the Yasso Frozen Yogurt that was given away. And the unicorn that was walking around was cool. And hanging out with Amy and Cristina was fun.
But I would definitely not do this again.

200^th review? Woo hoo!
What a great event to mark as #200! I honestly don’t know why people have reviewed this so poorly. Today I ran my first 5k, and it was one of the best bucketlist items I’ve done thus far! The race itself is super organized. You buy your tickets online and they will send you confirmation information and updates along the way. When the date approaches you’ll get a race map and info. You can go to the pre-​party and pick up your packet full of goodies OR you can pick it up the day of.
How to get there: If you live on LI you can either DRIVE or…
I took the LIRR to Jamaica and transferred to the Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn. Once I got there I got onto the 2 downtown all the way until the last stop (Flatbush Ave/​Brooklyn College). The great thing about the race is that they send shuttle buses to and from the subway stop. The actual Aviator Sports is about 3 – 4 miles away. When they said buses, they weren’t kidding. I mean I rode on a yellow school bus. Flashback high school circa 2008.
Aviator sports in Brooklyn was a great location. When you first get there just follow the groups on people in white shirts and neon tutus. You can check-​in and get your packet. It comes with a super-​comfy white tee, tattoos, a headband and of course color powder! They have many booths set up to take pics, get water, etc. There’s toilets around too so no worries. ***One thing I did not know which is good for the future is that there are no lockers at this particular event. So if you have a family member watching, leave your stuff with them.
The runway was cute. It was lined with red, blue and yellow stripes. And I don’t wanna delve too much into the actual run because you need to experience it for yourself!!! But afterwards, they have a big dance party with a DJ and everything. With that there’s a lot of sponsors and booths full of FREEBIES! Like fro-​yo, drinks, KIND bars, slurpies, etc. Definitely stop by here you won’t regret it.
For my first 5k this was fantastic. It was fun, easy-​going and an experience I’ll never forget. Can’t wait until the next one!!! Glow in the dark 5k, here I come.

This run is kinda weird. After every few checks, you’ll see volunteers standing on the side squirting the runners with colored powder bottles. If you’re not near them, you’re probably not going to get squirt (no pun intended). So if you want some color, run near them.
This run is all about the company, if you got a good group of people with you, you’ll have fun! It’s not a competitive race! You can run/​walk/​jog at your own pace.

Review: eh, it’s a frat party
Information: they throw colored corn starch on you, it washes off easily, there is loud obnoxious club/​dance music, it is more of a party than a run — you definitely don’t need to worry about physical abilities, the start is in waves, there is mass color throwing in waves after the race, more obnoxious club/​dance music after the race, nothing exciting happens at the finish line, parking & logistics were great even though it was in the middle of nowhere, one of the more organized races i’ve been to.