Sunday morning brought drizzle, foggy skies, and a whole bunch of colorful runners to National Harbor for the Color Run, dubbed the happiest 5K on the planet. Approximately 5,000 runners and walkers braved the potential rain to be doused instead with a downpour of yellow, orange, pink, and blue powder for 3.1 miles.
Since being founded a little more than a year ago, in January 2012, the Color Run series has become the single largest running event in the country, involving more than 1 million participants and 100 events in 2013 alone. Participants, from toddlers to grandparents, are drawn to the Color Run’s untimed 5K, which has only two requirements: to wear white and finish splattered in color from head to toe. With even more color-blasting at the finish line, plus free Kind bars, Slurpees, Chipotle, water, and a dance pit, the Color Run feels more like one big party than an actual run.
