Run for your life

On Sept. 22, the University of Nevada, Reno campus was awash with color and activity during the Color Me Rad 5K race. Through clouds of colored powder, runners of all ages emerged, bibs barely visible beneath splatters of neon blues and pinks. But unlike other races, laughter and chatter drowned out the sounds of heavy breathing and feet on the pavement.

Color Me Rad is not a typical 5 kilometer race. It’s one of many local annual themed 5K races, also known as “fun runs,” that have run through Reno in the past few years. This particular event—which benefits, in part, Special Olympics of Nevada—involves throwing packets of colored powder on runners as they pass through the race. To an outsider, the event resembles Holi, the spring Hindu festival in which participants also douse one another with colors from head to toe. Other races, such as the Color Run, Run or Dye, Color in Motion, and the Graffiti Run, use the same technique.

“I never thought I’d see so many different types of people at a race,” said Color Me Rad participant Matt Rosen, a Truckee resident and long-time athlete. The fun runs are open to people of all ages and training levels, which means that a typical themed 5K features a range of experienced runners to families pushing children in strollers around the track.

“I don’t think these types of races necessarily encourage competition or rigor, but it’s cool to have another time on your record,” he says. “And I think there are worse ways to get people excited about exercise.”

If anything, fun runs have shown that allowing people to get messy or dress up in silly costumes is the key for popular community fitness events. Fun runs are social and typically non-competitive, although runners are still timed and often rewarded for good performance.

Local artist Lisa Kurt signed up for Color Me Rad when she found herself in need of a new challenge.

“I wanted to motivate myself to exercise more and give myself an achievable goal, but also have fun with it,” she says.

Kurt trained for the race with a friend, who was at a similar fitness level.

“We jogged about three days a week,” she says. “I also went for solo jogs and walks another day or two as needed.”

Kurt says she doesn’t identify as a runner—“maybe in the future”—but does plan to run in more 5K races.

“I definitely think the themes make 5Ks more fun and take the pressure off,” she says. “Some people sign up and walk the whole way, or you see families with little kids participate. You tend to see all ages and levels of runners with the themed races so it creates a more fun atmosphere. You can’t take yourself too seriously if you’re running around in a costume or with color being launched at you.”

Running as the exercise of choice is at an all-time high. The biggest draw? It’s free. Almost anyone can try out and train, maybe using free apps and web tutorials, and trails are available throughout cities in both urban and natural environments.

But like other free activities in the fitness industry, businesses have found ways to capitalize on it. Between races, clothing, shoes and gear, running has become a multimillion dollar industry.

According to a June 20 U.S. News story, more than 14 million people finished a road race in 2011, compared to just 4.8 million in 1990. And more than half of the 14 million runners were women. Researchers attribute the increase in women runners to several factors: an increase in female-driven health blogs, an abundance of fitness-related material posted to websites like Pinterest, and an economical decision to be fit without shelling out cash to pay for a trainer or gym.

But fun runs have received some backlash from avid runners, who see the races as a gimmick. After the various color runs began attracting thousands of people across the country, other themes emerged, ranging from post-apocalyptic zombie races to a “Bad Prom” run, in which runners dress up in gaudy prom-related outfits. But costumes and a face full of powder can be distracting and potentially dangerous for serious runners. Themed races also tend to cost more than a standard 5K. The average entrance fee for a 5K is $30. Fun runs can charge as much as $75. The higher cost usually comes with extra goodies like T-shirts and accessories.

However, fitness experts say the themes appeal to many people who don’t identify as athletes or runners, and can be a good first race for novices. It also provides a positive and social atmosphere, less concerned with competition.

And now, local organizations are using the 5K model as a community bonding experience and a fundraising opportunity.

Ed Adkins is the organizer of several Reno events such as the Reno Zombie Crawl and Reno Superhero Crawl. Adkins says the oversaturation of themed runs has resulted in a decline of participants for individual races. Thus, the staying power of fun runs lies with community-hosted events, because “the people of Reno are what make these events cool.”

“You can’t create the magic of Reno culture by throwing packets of color powder, then packing it all up in a truck and moving on to the rest of the country,” Adkins says.

This year’s Zombie Crawl on Oct. 26 will kick off with the No-Brainer 5K at 10 a.m. Runners will dress up as zombies and run from Wingfield Park to downtown Reno.

(Theirs isn’t the only zombie 5K that day, either. Non-profit STEP2 will also host the Running Dead 5K at 9:30 a.m. as a benefit event.)

Earlier this year, the Arch Rivals 5K was part of the Superhero Crawl, and costumed heroes and villains raced around downtown Reno. The No-Brainer 5K is the first run hosted as part of the Zombie Crawl, intended to include a wider range of participants. The crawl also hosts a large-scale Thriller dance reenactment under the Reno arch every year. Planning a 5K and planning a bar crawl have turned out to be similar endeavors, Adkins says. The logistics include mapping out a safe area in the city and working with local businesses.

“We were trying to increase the people we can reach with our events,” Adkins says. “Not everyone is 21 and over. We started the ’Thriller’ dance in order to get kids involved, but not everyone wants to be out at night.”

The No-Brainer run is timed, and runners will be eligible to win prizes based on their performance. But Adkins says the event is about having fun through a healthy and social outlet.

“We don’t try to make it a competition,” he says. “There’s already events like Tough Mudder. We just say we’re looking for the ’soft mudders.’”

Adkins says just running in a 5K is an accomplishment for many people. He wants people to get recognition for their costumes and participation.

“For some people, just being a part of something is enough,” he says. “Just come out and do it. Don’t come out to win.”