WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE COLOR RUN? The Color Run is the first colour race of its kind and was inspired by several awesome events, including Disney’s World of Color, Colour Parties, Mud Runs, and festivals throughout the world such as Holi. We wanted to create a less stressful and untimed running environment that is more about health and happiness! We hope that The Color Run can act as a catalyst to inspire continual healthy living.
DO I NEED TO BE MO FARAH TO DO THIS? Oh my goodness, NO. There are plenty of other great 5k runs our there to test speed and performance. We’re all about a colour crazy day out with friends and family. You can run, walk, jog, skip, dance or cartwheel it if you wish!
IS THE COLOR RUN TIMED? ‘The Happiest 5k On The Planet’ is not a timed event. Even Mr. Farah would take his time out there to maximise the colourful fun! We suggest self-timing for anyone desiring a finish time.
IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT FOR YOUNGER RUNNERS? There are no age limits, if they can cover running, jogging, walking or strolling the 5kms of the course, they can absolutely do The Color Run! Anyone under 14 years old needs to be accompanied by an adult.
IS THE COLOR RUN A CHARITY OR A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION? No, we are a commercial fun run event, but we do work with charities.
CAN I RUN WITH MY DOG/CAT/TURTLE? For the safety of our runners and animal friends, we do not allow animals at any of our races.
HOW DO I GET MY PARTICIPANT KIT? You can pick up your kit at the Pre-Pickup store that opens in the week leading up to your event. Opening hours will be advertised closer to the event.
IS THE COLOR RUN SAFE? We conduct thorough testing to ensure the safety of our materials and their application. The health of our participants and employees is always our top priority. As a professional events company with highly vetted policies and processes, we conduct thorough testing to ensure the safety of our materials and their application.
HOW IS THE COLOUR ADMINISTERED? You will see smiling faces along the course whose main goal is to douse you with colourful powder to ensure that you look like you ran through a beautiful rainbow by the time you cross the finish line!
At the Finish Festival, the crowd will be involved in a color throw every 15 minutes to welcome new runners coming in. We provide one bag of color for each runner as you cross the finish line. More packets can be purchased on race day at The Color Run store.
WILL THE COLOUR STAIN MY HAIR? The coloured powder does wash out of your hair; however, we do recommend you take precautions if you are worried! The colour does tend to stick to lighter hair. Blondes you are warned! Oiling your hair before the run will help the colour wash out. If you’re having trouble washing it after the event, bi-carb soda and anti-dandruff shampoo will help get the more stubborn colour out!
WILL THE COLOR RUIN MY CLOTHES OR RUNNING SHOES? The colour mostly washes out after the event. However, as with anything dirty, the sooner the gear gets washed the better. Dust off all excess powder before washing with water. Wash your coloured gear separately and use cold water. We suggest wearing items that you would not mind getting colourful. If you would like to preserve the colour in your running shirt, we suggest spraying it with vinegar and ironing it when you get home. This is the most likely way the shirt will retain its colouring.
DO YOU HAVE A CLEANING STATION AFTER THE RACE? We have air-blown color cleaning at the finish line. With a good dusting off, you won’t be 100% clean, but you’ll be good for the drive home. It’s always fun to see people still colorful around town after The Color Run. It’s like a badge of honour!
HOW DOES THE COLOUR AFFECT THE INSIDE OF CARS? You went all out, you are covered in colour and if you do not take precautions, your car will be too. If you are driving or taking the tube, use your poncho or bring something (towels, plastic, rubbish bags, etc.) to cover the seats before you sit down.
ARE CAMERAS AND PHONES SAFE TO HAVE IN THE COLOR ZONES? Our race photographers are totally fine shooting from a medium distance (10-15metres). If you want to get shots right in the midst of the colour we recommend covering cameras/phones with cling film or placing your phone in a ziplock bag.
WILL RUNNING THROUGH THE COLOR ZONES AFFECT MY VISION OR BREATHING? The coloured powder used at the event is made from food-grade cornstarch. It is 100% natural and causes no harm to skin or the environment. The powder used in its events has been tested for flammability and successfully passed the required EU standards. As with any substance, you want to keep it out of your eyes and our colour throwers make sure to aim low as you pass by. Some Color Runners opt to wear glasses or goggles for their eyes and use a bandana or dust mask for their mouths.
CAN SPECTATORS ATTEND THE POST-RACE FINISH FESTIVAL? Absolutely! You may want to warn them though they’re not coming out of The Color Run Finish Festival clean!
ARE THERE REFUNDS? If an event is held as advertised, we cannot issue refunds. The logistics of setting up and planning the event make it impossible.
CAN I TRANSFER MY REGISTRATION TO ANOTHER PERSON OR ANOTHER CITY? You can transfer your place to another participant if you can’t attend. OR, you can transfer your registration to another event as long as the transfer is within the same calendar year, and you’re transferring from an event that hasn’t yet taken place.
HOW STRICT IS THE “WHITE CLOTHING DRESS CODE” FOR THE START OF THE EVENT? We will have white clothing police inspectors located throughout the event. You will be arrested and put in jail if more than 11.8% of your person is a color other than white just like at Wimbledon, honest! Just kidding, you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in to run, walk or skip around the 5k course.
WHAT IF I AM PREGNANT? It’s totally up to you and your doctor. We see a lot of pregnant runners at our races, and they’re the cutest ones out there! The powder is all certified non-toxic. We recommend wearing sunglasses or goggles, and a bandana over your mouth and nose in the color zones just for extra protection.
HOW DOES THE START CHUTE WORK? The start chute will open 15 minutes before the run commences. We will then let everyone onto the course in waves of approx. 500-800 every 3-6 minutes. We do suggest any serious runners make their way into the chute early so they can be among the first group to enter the course.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS BAD WEATHER? The Color Run is an outdoor event so could be affected by weather! The event will not be cancelled in bad weather unless it is unsafe to proceed. Rain is, after all, just liquid sunshine!
CAN I TAKE PHOTOS OR FILM AT THE EVENT? The Color Run is the perfect event to get great visuals for your memories, Instagram, Facebook or maybe you even take your photography more seriously and want to prepare a portfolio. We welcome anyone to photograph or film at our event for PERSONAL use only. We DO NOT accredit anyone other than limited official media. So please, come along, enjoy the event and take shots until your colourful heart is content. Make sure you tag us in any pics! #ColourMeHappy
WHY DO YOU KEEP SPELLING COLOUR THE AMERICAN WAY? The Color Run is an American brand that has arrived in the UK so it is missing the Brittish u. We like to encourage all our Color Runners to put the u in colour on the day, and use our UK #ColourMeHappy.
CAN I RUN WITH A JOGGING BUGGY AND MY KIDS? On one condition, if you are prepared to be one of the hippest mums/dads on the planet!
IS THE COURSE WHEELCHAIR FRIENDLY? All of our courses are accessible, so everyone can enjoy the ‘Happiest 5K on the Planet!’ We suggest an all-terrain wheelchair or to bring a friend along who will be able to help you through more tricky parts of the course.
CAN I BRING MY SCOOTER OR BIKE? Unfortunately, due to safety reasons, the only wheels we allow at our events are prams and wheelchairs. Sorry!
CAN I RUN WITH MY DOG? For the safety of our runners and animal friends, we do NOT allow animals at any of our races.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD GETS LOST? Participants who will be running with children are encouraged to pick up a wristband for their child. You can pick up a wristband at the check-in party and write your name and phone number.
WHAT IF I HAVE A QUESTION THAT ISN’T ANSWERED HERE? Please email info.uk@thecolorrun.com and we’ll hook you up with an answer. If your question is awesome enough, we might even publish it right here on The Color Run Official FAQs page.
