The inaugural Color Me RAD 5K was a huge 5km colour fun run event held on Sunday Feb 23rd, under cloudy but dry skies, and with pleasant temperatures greeting the 4500 enthusiastic entrants.
The event’s premise was to enjoy a walk or run around the Sydney Motorsport Park GP circuit and to end up covered in as many colours of paint powder as possible.
As well as the fun and friendship the event engendered, there was a serious side to it: in excess of $12,000 was raised for the Australian Cancer Research Fund. A conspicuous army of volunteers, all smartly dressed and well organized, from the RRT ( Rapid Response Team) helped to marshal the thousands of runners.
Many of the crowd were dressed in predominately white clothing; ensuring that the liberal application of cornflour mixed food colouring powder would turn their pristine garments into a riot of colour. The concept for the “festival of colour” comes from the ancient HOLI festival in India.
To start the days festivities, and to get the crowd warmed up, a rousing 20 minutes of ZUMBA music and movement got everyone in the mood. Stirringly led by Brad “Bear” Mader, the ebullient race controller/ compere held the crowd like putty in his hands.
By now, the crowd were revved up and straining at the start line to get underway, and “Bear” showered the first wave of over a thousand runners with dozens of exploding colour bombs. Near pandemonium erupted when finally the start order was given, and the crowd surged forward.
Two subsequent waves of runners were staged and let go, to make their way around the track. At regular intervals around the track, “colour stations” were set up, ensuring that as runners went past, they were showered with liberal handfuls of colour: Orange, Purple, Blue, Pink and Green. Upon reaching the finish line more colour bombs were thrown into the moshpit of screaming rainbow coloured youth dancing to the twin D.J’s . It was a enormously successful event.
The run is suitable for all ages, and is a very fun way to get out and enjoy some healthy exercise. There were babies in strollers, little kids, teenagers, mums and dads, and many “older folk” – even a walking stick or two could be seen on the track. This event is planned to run in many major cities in Australia during 2014.
– words and pics by Rob Annesley
look@shotbyrob.com.au