Color Me Rad

Color Me Rad is a five-kilometer race where the goal is to run, get colored, and be rad. So, naturally, that’s what I am doing.

The happiest 5,000 meters on the planet!

I am at SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm Stadium, formerly Jack Murphy Stadium, formerly San Diego Stadium), I have my number, and I am, for now, clean and uncolored. That will soon change.

Can you tell we signed in together?

This is my best friend, since forever. We are going to race together to be each other’s cheering squad.

We make it look good.

Photographers keep taking our photographs. They probably like my big, beautiful…smile. 😀

Okay, let the race begin!!

And they’re off!

There are hundreds (thousands?) of us, waiting in the morning heat, when we hear a loud horn and everyone starts running as clouds of colored smoke fill the air. The radness begins!

Smoke ’em if you got ’em.

Well, this explains the smoke. It appears that a number of runners have canisters of rad color. I’ll try to not breathe.

Here I am!

Can you see me, lost in the crowd? I’m the one in white with red sun glasses. Well, can you at least see the two people with skull heads? The folks at the Color Me Rad race do not discriminate based on race, color, or condition of skull.

Run, rabbit!

Here I am, running just ahead of the ballerinas, to the right of the girl with the feather pen, and just behind the “Support Your Troops” guy.

Victory!

I’m still fairly clear and white. Well, my friends, this is about to change.

The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang.

I follow the runners into the first set of arches, where I am slimed with purple powder. Kinda reminds me of a song by Prince Rogers Nelson.

Purple me, baby!

As long as I’m going to be colored, I want an even coloring. No weird tie-dye look for me!

Purple, purple everywhere.

In case you are wondering if a runner could just race through and avoid the color, the answer is “No”. First, there are three opportunities to be colored and second, why would a runner NOT want to be colored?

Even babies can be colored rad.

A fellow runs through the yellow color pushing a child in a cart. I can only imagine what the child is experiencing.

A rad girl in a tutu becomes even radder.

I approach the yellow zone, which is about half way to the finish line. My knees are a bit sore from running on pavement, but I don’t have very far to go, so I’ll be fine.

Well, that’s pretty underhanded!

A handful of color and I’m through the splash zone!

Hey! Why aren’t those girls yellow?

Now I’ll be dripping yellow from my face. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I can’t wait to blow my nose and the end of the race….

And, I’m through the red zone!

Notice the fellow on the far left? He brought his cell phone in a plastic bag. Dude, can’t you disconnect even for a few minutes during a FUN RUN? Well, I shouldn’t judge. Maybe he’s a surgeon and he just got news that the hospital found a donor, or an international investor who has $400 million tied up in Chinese tungsten mining, or….Nah, who am I kidding. He’s just a dork.

I’m finally getting a little color!

Whoa! What happened to that girl behind me? She must have run face-first into a ball of blue color! I hope she was not inhaling.

Where are you aiming, dude?

I’m getting colored with a significant amount of orange. Or, at least, a part of me is.

Can you tell I’m holding my breath?

Okay, I know what he was aiming for, but that color was seriously close to my face. But, the race is almost over, so I’m happy.

We made it!

We race joyously to the finish line, where crowds of people ignore us. Can you people at least get off the race track before checking that important message?