Cardio with a cause was on the agenda for many of those who came out to the Color Me Rad 5K run on Saturday, Oct. 26. The national, for-profit event was held at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre and hosted hundreds of people and pounds of colored cornstarch. 

Runners were literally covered in just about every color as they ran down Rock Quarry and Sunnybrook Roads to cross the finish line. Participants in Color Me Rad races are encouraged to begin with a plain white shirt so they can proudly display each new color acquired upon completing a new section of the race. 

It wasn’t just running the course that got people coated in colors — the “color bomb” was quite an attraction at the event, too.

With dance music blaring, crowds of people gathered around a stage to dance inside huge clouds of the cornstarch called color bombs. The sight of flailing hands was all that could be seen through the clouds as people flung bags of the colorful powder in the air.

Cities partner with local charities that receive a portion of the proceeds from the race. Raleigh’s charity was Special Olympics North Carolina, a program with the mission to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Race day consisted of energetic, messy fun and offered several ways for attendees to remember the experience, including a photo station at the finish line and memorabilia from shirts to water bottles.  

Color Me Rad hosts multiple marathons across the country and has even spread internationally. Charlotte will play host to the 5K in March of next year, along with Greensboro in April.

For more information, visit colormerad.com.