Cluj-Napoca has become an even more joyful place since The Color Run started being organized here last year. For one day, the central streets of the city are covered in rainbows, there is music blasting from the speakers and people running around plastered from head to toe in color. It is an all-round celebration of cheerfulness which the youth of Cluj-Napoca have whole heartedly embraced.
Although the event was founded in 2011, it took only 3 years for it to get to Cluj-Napoca. This is a testament to the city’s own rapid growth and visibility in Europe. The event is a welcome addition to the already rich and vibrant cultural life of the town.
The only thing that is required of the participants is that they run or walk five kilometers and try to have fun while they do it. After every kilometer, they are doused with colored powder and for these purposes, they are asked to wear white T-shirts.
The colors are not random. Every kilometer has its specific color. Upon completing the first kilometer, the participants are sprayed with yellow powder. After the second kilometer comes the orange powder. Then green and finally blue. This year, the organizers promise the addition of glitter, which will be sprinkled on the runners after the 5th kilometer. Thus, on the special day of June 13th there will be many shiny and colorful people in the city.
The participants pass through a blow-up gate, where they are awaited by a group of gleeful youths which blow the colored dust at them. After all the runners have passed through, there remains a cloud of color, which then sets on the street.
The run was not devised for competition purposes. Quite the contrary. The runners’ times are not measured and everybody who crosses the finish line is a winner. The point is not to finish first, but to have fun and to hopefully make a commitment to a healthy life style henceforth.
The official website of the event says that around 60% of the participants are running a 5 kilometer track for the first time in their live, which is encouraging, because it means that the event is making people more conscious of the importance of exercising.
International editions: