Colour Me Happy: The Color Run Mississauga

Post written by: Ildiko

I never used to think of myself as a “runner” because I had this perception that they were an elite group of high performance athletes – boy, was I wrong! Over the past year, I’ve met runners from all walks of life – from amateur to pro – and was encouraged to sign up for my very first run. I instantly became addicted. And as I began training, I felt a great sense of gratification; I noticed a huge difference in my endurance every week and felt so accomplished when I completed my runs. So when I got invited to cover The Color Run earlier this month, I was ecstatic to see how I’d do during the colourful 5K. It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to try; I mean, who doesn’t want to get a little paint sprinkled on them during a run? How fun is that?!

The moment I drove up to the Hershey Center in Mississauga, I spotted a crowd of people in white clothes so I knew I was in the right place. The energy in the area was amazing – so positive! I could feel the anticipation; everyone was excited for the run and wanted to be a part of the festivities. I could barely wait to get out of my car and join in…

They released the runners in waves, beginning at 9 am. And while we were waiting to go (which I think was the worst part), they had music playing and swag giveaways to keep the crowd entertained. It did take a fair bit of time to start my wave of the run (I lined up at 9 am and my wave didn’t get released until 10 am), but I was full of energy as soon as I heard it was our turn!

While traditional runs focus on speed, there really wasn’t any pressure to run fast – or even run at all – at The Color Run (there were plenty of walkers). The event was more about doing something active that benefits a good cause (the Mississauga run raised funds for Kids CAN) and celebrating health, happiness and individuality.

I proudly ran the entire race. Approaching the first kilometer was super exciting! All I saw was a station of pink with volunteers who were ready to throw powdered paint on me. As I went through the station, I held my breath and was thankful that I brought sunglasses to protect my eyes. It was amazing! I loved every second of it. I had successfully gotten my first colour of the day and could barely wait for the next four kilometers (each station had a different colour of paint).

As I approached the third kilometer, it started to rain. It was refreshing at first because it was humid outside. But as I passed the fourth kilometer station, it started pouring! Not the type of rain that you want to run in; it was a torrential downpour to the point where it was painful to run. One thing to note about the rain – it doesn’t stop the run by any means! But it did become increasingly difficult for volunteers to throw the powder so they put it on their hands and ‘marked’ us as we passed by instead. I was full of handprints from that particular colour station!

Regardless of weather, everyone was in good spirits. And the fun didn’t stop when we completed the run; they had an outdoor stage set up with a live DJ so all of the runners could celebrate their run.

For those of you who want to give this unique run a try, there is a schedule posted on The Color Run events page (there were more than 170 events in 30+ countries last year). Make sure to register early as they tend to sell out fast. I hope you get a chance to check it out. I know I’m planning to be at their next GTA run – wearing my tutu!

Tips for a successful run:

• DO try to pick up your packs the day before to avoid the long lines on the day of the run
• DO get there early to find a place to park
• DO bring a Ziploc bag for your phone so you can take pictures while you’re running without getting paint on it
• DO bring a change of clothes and/or a towel to put on the seat of your car so that you don’t get your car full of powdered paint
• DO wear sunglasses to keep the colour out of your eyes
• DON’T wear anything that you wouldn’t mind getting spoiled – just in case the colour doesn’t wash out (the colour came out of all of my clothes really easily)
• DO wear white – and if you’re feeling adventurous – it’s always fun to bring out the costumes (I particularly enjoyed the tutu’s that some people were sporting)
• DO pace yourself in the beginning so you can last for the full run
• DO run with a group of friends – it’s a social event!

A special thank you to Rock-It Promotions and The Color Run for inviting me! All reviews and opinions are entirely my own.