[youtube id=”4EERSfHiqT8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]By Stephen Greene, Staff Writer

What’s life without a little color?

The Color Run, a casual, fun-filled, five-kilometer race, comes to Winston-Salem on Saturday, March 16.

This event is one of the most unique, exciting runs to come to the Triad, drawing a projected 10,000 eager runners and an additional 5,000 observers ready to impersonate the rainbow.

Runners must sport a white T-shirt at the start, like a new coloring book. Once the gun goes off, the fun begins. Each checkpoint throughout the race has a different colored powder: yellow, orange, pink and blue. Workers “blitz” powder all over the runners as they progress throughout the race, as runners end in a color-filled goodness that Willy Wonka himself would be proud of.

The powder is 100-percent safe, and according to the official Color Run website, it’s even edible.

“The color is what makes the run so unique,” sophomore Claire Beeson said. “I can’t wait to do it with my friends!”

The Color Run is the single largest event series in the nation and also the first of its kind. The event began in January 2012 in Phoenix.

“I wanted to create an event that would encourage people to get out and run just for the fun of it,” The Color Run founder and executive director, Travis Snyder, said in a news release. “I wanted people to enjoy the community experience of running together, and I wanted to add something a little out of the ordinary to the race; something that could serve as a sort of visual reward for all the hard work these runners put into training for the event.”

The community experience will definitely be present, with numerous RJR students, teachers and alumni in the 5k.

“I plan on participating in the run with my church,” junior Dean Vlasis said. “It’s a great addition to the other fun runs we have in Winston.”

Sixty percent of runners are first-time 5K participants, attracted by how unique The Color Run is. “The Color Run has had more first-time 5K runners than any other event in history,” Snyder said. “For most of these runners, it will lead to more participation in fun runs and competitive events. We take a lot of satisfaction in the fact that our events lead people to have a more healthy and active lifestyle.”

Anyone can participate in The Color Run, as it was created solely on the idea of having a nonthreatening running environment where professional and novice runners could come together and enjoy the purity of the sport.

With early registration completed, runners can still compete solo for $50 or run with at least a four-person team for $45 a person. Registration can be done at the Sports Authority near Hanes Mall before the end of the day Friday, or on-site Saturday. The event takes place at 10 a.m. at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. More information can be found by clicking this link.

“The demand has been crazy and exciting,” Snyder said. “Every day, hundreds of people make requests on our Facebook page for us to bring the event to their favorite city. We’re excited to answer the call!”

The goal of the run is to give participants a good time, and it has surely accomplished that at other stops in the U.S.

“Seeing how happy The Color Run has made all different kinds of people has been very rewarding,” Snyder said. “It really is an event for all fitness levels, ages and backgrounds. Our tag line is ‘The happiest 5K on the planet’ for a reason. That line was created after seeing how happy it made people.”