Our Mission and History
We’re The Color Run, the world’s first COLOR 5K™ and COLOR DASH event. Founded in 2011, our mission is to bring people together and make the world a happier, healthier place. By creating an experience that’s more about the memories you make than your mile per minute, we made running feel accessible to a broader demographic.
Now the largest running series in the world, “The Happiest 5K on the Planet” has been experienced by over 6 million runners worldwide in 35+ countries, and continues to be a leader in the fun running space.
Here’s our colorful history at a glance:
2014
The Color Run debuts their first ever U.S. night run in Philadelphia! The Color Run Night is born.
2014
The Color Run Launched its massively successful Kaleidoscope Tour which visited over 150 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
2015
Color Runners around the world experienced the Shine Tour which introduced a whole new element of sparkle.
2016
The Color Run Tropicolor World Tour brought and exciting, island-style 5k vacation to cities around the world.
2017
The Color Run Dream World Tour is adding a colorful cloud Foam Zone to an already magical 5k course.
Dream World Tour 2017
Get ready to Dream in Colors. The Color Run Tour, Presented by Lay’s® takes Color Runners to a world where anything is possible and inspires participants to make dreams a reality in this magical 5K course.
Color Runners will feel on top of the world in the brand-new Lay’s® Poppables™ Foam Zone as they run through dreamy colored foam, and will be delighted by new colors (PURPLE!) in the classic powder Color Zones. Along the course, participants can paint their aspirations on the Dream Wall, snap whimsical photos with giant unicorns, and get the ultimate color inspiration as they party with friends at the Finish Festival amidst vibrant bursts of color throws.
Each Color Runner will receive a limited-edition Dream Tour race shirt, embroidered headband, a fun temporary tattoo, and a one-of-a-kind Unicorn Finisher’s Medal. Whether you bring your squad of BFFs or your crew of kids and family, it’s a 5K course that will have everyone feeling like they’re on Cloud Nine.
The Color Run Night
There is an enchanting energy when the sun goes down, so come join us for this star-lit party. Glowtastic color zones, illuminating bubble zones, sweet photo opps, glowing color shows and bumping music will give runners an experience to remember forever. All participants also receive a limited edition Night Race kit, including: glowing tee, black light headlamp, and one of a kind glow color packet to help you get your glow.
How The Event Works
Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed event in which thousands of participants, or “Color Runners”, are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. With only two rules, the idea is easy to follow:
- 1Wear white at the starting line!
- 2Finish plastered in color!
After Color Runners complete the race, the fun continues with an unforgettable Finish Festival. This larger than life party is equipped with music, dancing and massive color throws, which create millions of vivid color combinations. Trust us, this is the best post-5K party on the planet! The map below outlines The Color Run 5K at a glance:
Healthiness
While our 5K event is all about having fun, we also focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle. More than half of our participants are first-time 5K runners and the event is making headway on the national focus of improving health and wellness. We hope that The Color Run 5K event will be able to act as a catalyst for our participants to live an active, healthy lifestyle.
Happiness
Seeing how happy The Color Run has made people has been tremendously rewarding for us. It is an event for all fitness levels, ages and backgrounds. Our tag line, “The Happiest 5K on the Planet,” was created after seeing the expressions of pure joy from participants. Want to add some happiness to your life? Find Your City Here
Individuality
Color Runners vary in demographics and reasons for running. With no winners or official times, The Color Run caters to everyone—first time runners to seasoned athletes. Some Color Runners participate as a celebration and capstone of their healthy living accomplishments, while others participate for reasons unique to them. What are you running for?
Giving Back
As a for-profit event management company, we love the opportunity we have to partner with charities to help shine a light on their amazing work within society and highlight the causes they stand for. We have raised donations for more than 80 local and national charities since 2012. To date, The Color Run has donated more than $5 million to charity. For more information on how The Color Run works with charities, visit our Charity Page. Interested in nominating your charity for the event in your community?
