Caroline Corsones, Culture and Thought Editor

Who says running is the worst?

During the Persian War in ancient Greece, the herald Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens, a total of 26 miles, to report victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon.  According to legend, he said the word “Nike,” meaning “Victory,” and then died.  The concept of a marathon was born from this event.

Being more realistic, Pheidippides probably said something closer to, “Jogging is the worst.”

And for many, it is the worst. With so many more appealing exercise options, it seems fruitless to try to get the average person to spend their Saturday completing a five kilometer (roughly 3.1 miles) race.

Luckily, some truly inspired people have found a way to bring novice and expert runners together for one day of fun and exercise.  The Color Run is the largest event series in the United States, and last Saturday, the event came to South Bend.  Setting it apart from other races, the Color Run features volunteers showering runners with powdered colors at certain increments in the race.  By the end of the day, beautiful colors cover the entirety of race participants.  A concert and dance party follow shortly after the race, bringing people from all walks of life together to celebrate health and vitality.

The race attracts people of all athletic skill levels, which is probably what makes it so popular.  At the run last Saturday were experienced runners, walking grandparents and mothers pushing strollers.  Erin Aucar, a  Notre Dame sophomore and treasurer of the Women’s Running Club on campus, said, “I liked getting to run another 5K, but I especially liked getting to do it in a new and fun way.”

In the end, all participants celebrated together.  “My favorite part was at the end when everyone threw their color powder up in the air. I felt like I was in one of the Color Run’s advertisements,” remarked sophomore Heather Littlejohn.

As sophomore Catherine Clarke put it, “Although scrubbing the colors off my skin for hours was great fun, my favorite part was when everybody threw the colors and stuff.  That was pretty cool.”

Notre Dame made its presence known at the race through both participation and volunteer work.  Payton Erlemeier, a freshman, volunteered at the race, representing Notre Dame’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE).  For every member of SWE who volunteered, the Color Run donated $25 to the charity Girls on the Run.

Payton recounted: “My favorite part of the Color Run was hitting people with color.  Since we were the first zone (go yellow!), most people had totally white t-shirts.  So we got to douse them with color!”  As a runner, it was incredible to see a classmate selflessly working for a charity while simultaneously smacking you in the face with a large dose of yellow powder.  Our school truly represented at this event.

The   Color Run came at a very opportune time, coinciding with the start of Respect Life Week.  The two are not affiliated, but their purposes of celebrating and appreciating life are very much alike.  Color Run participants had a unique chance to celebrate their own lives through exercise and fun with friends.  As sophomore Lexi Klaus pointed out, “Everyone was so happy to be running it, and as someone who ordinarily hates running, it was really fun.”

Sheridan Rosner also chimed in: “I liked the relaxed atmosphere.  It made the event feel more like a celebration than a competition.”

Caroline Corsones is a sophomore English major with a minor in secondary education.  When it comes to the Color Run, please put her down for cardio.  Contact her at ccorsones@nd.edu.