7 Tips to The Color Run Austin, TX

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The Happiest 5K is coming back to Central Texas! The Color Run Austin Tropicolor Tour is happening on Saturday, May 7, 2016. We have run The Color Run before and loved it! Read on for 7 Tips to The Color Run Austin and a special discount code to run!

The Color Run is the original paint run and has been around since 2011. Not only is it a fun race, dubbed the “happiest 5K on the planet”, but it it doing some good for the communities it visits. For example, the 2016 Tropicolor Tour in Austin is working with The Boys & Girls Club of Austin.

The Tropicolor Tour marks the 5th Anniversary of The Color Run. It sounds so fun!

Participants will experience an all-new Tropicolor Zone™ on course, where they will be bathed in a tropical array of colors and delicious island scents as they pass through the shade of palm trees, arches, and island-style music. At the Finish Festival, Color Runners will enjoy even more fun at Rainbow Beach, an interactive island featuring music, dancing, unique photo opportunities, and massive color throws.

We ran The Color Run Kaleidoscope Tour in 2014 when it was in Austin and I discovered some helpful tips to running this type of race that I wish I had known before! So being the ever helpful blogger that I am, I wanted to pass it along to you.

But before I do, let me do my best to convince you that you MUST run this race. My friends and I ran it, not really knowing what to expect, and walked away thinking it was the most fun race we had done. It definitely lives up to it’s name, the “Happiest 5K on the Planet.”

Are you thinking “But I’m not a Runner!”?

In the Color Run, participants are there to have fun, not race. This race was filled with runners and walkers (and toddlers in strollers, dogs, and more) of all abilities. No one cared about time, we were all just there to get doused with color. And that is what we did. So before you completely say No, take a look at what you would be missing:

Is the Color Run Messy?

Yes – it’s a HUGE mess- but that’s the fun of the race! Wear all white and get as colorful as you can. I’ll give you some tips to help clean up before you get home.

7 Tips to The Color Run Austin

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Dress The Part

The organizers of the race encourage you to wear white and yes, it’s the most fun way to see all the color. That said, make sure you are wearing something you don’t mind getting stained. Also, don’t wear your newest pair of running shoes. Most of the color came out of my shirt, but it’s not as white as it was previously. When you pick up your race packet, they have fun running gear to purchase to dress it up even more – socks, shirts, and tutus!! This is a race to dress up and have fun.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Wear Some Eye Protection

When you are running through the color corrals, people are actually throwing the colored cornstarch on you, so either close your eyes or wear cheap sunglasses. If you have breathing problems, it’s a good idea to have a bandana to cover your mouth & nose with.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Leave the valuables in the Car

This isn’t a race, so you don’t need your GPS watch. And unless you just have to take pics or video, I would recommend leaving the phone in the car too. OR make sure you keep it covered (runner pack under your shirt?) or it will have color on it when you are through.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Want to Get Colored?

If you want to get max color, run on the outer sides of the color corrals and tell the “color-ors” that you want to get sprayed. Have fun with it! Run with your back to them or duck down to get the color from the top. On the other hand, if you want a light dusting of color, run directly through the middle.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Don’t Get Wet!

The “color” is simply cornstarch that very easily dusts off of you. In fact, at the end of the race, they have leaf-blowers that will “blow off the color” before you head home. However, if you get wet or wash your hands with water, the color will saturate into your clothes or hands. Some of this is inevitable as you might be sweating, but that’s why they recommend clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Stay for the After-Race Party!

Once you cross the finish line, the organizers will hand you a bag of color to throw at the after party. Make sure to stay for the color throw – they count it down every few minutes and it’s your chance to get REALLY COLORED! It’s a lot of fun so don’t miss it.

7 Tips to the Color Run Austin: Bring Clean-Up Supplies!

Bring baby wipes to clean off your hands, plastic bags to put dirty clothes it for the ride home, and towels to sit on in the car. If you run with a stroller (there were tons) remember they will get messy too, so bring something to clean them, or visit the leaf-blower station before you go home.

The Color Run Austin: Discount Code

The Color Run had a fun, party atmosphere that made it such an enjoyable race. It’s a great race for the entire family and a great memory maker. Again, the Austin run is Saturday, May 7 and I have a $10 off code for Color Run’s Classic Registration.

Click here to register and use this code: MOMSRUN