It was a dozen years ago when I participated in a 5K fad that was sweeping the country. In May 2013, I joined friends to participate in Color Me Rad, one of the popular color run circuits that centered on covering runners in vibrantly-colored chalky powder. That morning in Missoula was a complete blast and I told myself that I would do another color run soon.

A photo of me with friends at the conclusion of the 2013 Color Me Run event in Missoula.

However, like all fads, color run popularity waned over the years. The opportunities to participate were few and far between. But another hallmark of fads is that often they have mini resurgences. Imagine my excitement when I learned that Color Me Rad was going to stage an event in the Spokane area! I immediately signed Sloan and me up.

The night before the Color Me Rad event, I put out our very white shirts.

This past Saturday, we ventured out to the MODE Campus in Liberty Lake to participate in the Color Me Rad event. Organizers offered two 5K races with a family-focused 1-mile run sandwiched between. I tested my own fitness by running the opening 5K race at 9 a.m. Not only did I get a nice 3-mile workout, but it warmed me up on what was a cold June morning.

A couple moments before I left for Liberty Lake, I snapped this photo with Sloan before we got rad.

Once I finished, I walked back to the parking lot and grabbed Sloan who was dropped off by Sidney. She saw the bright colors on my clothing/skin and couldn’t wait to get to the starting line. Sloan excitedly grabbed my hand and we walked to the giant inflatable arch with “START” written on it. We spent the 15 minutes prior to 10 a.m. listening to the live band and going through the warm up exercises led by event organizers.

A few minutes before 10 a.m., I snapped this photo of Sloan at the starting line.

At the command of the emcee who led us in one giant shout of “COLOR ME RAD,” we crossed the starting line and the race was on. Well, it is about the furthest thing from a race as you can get, but you get the picture. Sloan and I navigated the zig-zag course with joy, a rare occurrence considering running isn’t exactly my daughter’s favorite thing to do. But how can’t you be exuberant when color bombs are showering upon you?

Sloan at the beginning of the course at the first color staton.

The course was lined with different color stations where volunteers would throw the chalky powder on your personal canvas. Sloan embraced the color and by the time we neared the finish line, her dark hair was pretty much completely pink.

Toward the end of the run, Sloan’s hair was completely pink.

Once we crossed the finish line, the fun wasn’t over. Sloan and I were each given color pouches (and bottled water) to use as we wished. We had a blast using the fresh powder to make ourselves look even more RADiculous.

A selfie after we crossed the Color Me Rad selfie. Compare this to the first selfie we took in our pristine white shirts!

We then ventured over to the stage where the emcee was leading the crowd in “color throws.” Color packets were distributed and then everyone threw up their powder in unison. While this was occurring, the cloud of color was amplified by a Color Me Rad staffer who used a fire extinguisher to blow out thick bursts of color. Sloan absolutely loved it.

An obligatory finish line photo of Sloan.

Although we could have stayed longer as a big party was set to start after the conclusion of the second 5K heat, we had other stuff to do (like hang out at home and eat chicken nuggets). I draped large garbage bags over the backs of my car seats and placed beach towels on the cushions. We then headed home where Sid was waiting to collect our clothes and give Sloan a bath.

What an awesome time we had and they even gave Sloan a medal. Thanks to MODE Campus for hosting Color Me Rad.

I want to thank MODE Campus for reviving the Color Me Rad brand and organizing the event. I am trying to find fun ways to get Sloan active and this opportunity definitely fit the bill. It also brought back some nostalgia for me. Although a little more sun would have been nice, it was otherwise a perfect morning. Don’t Blink.