2017 Hershey Color Run Recap

As many of you know by now, I received an invitation to participate in the 2017 Hershey Color Run and received a free registration. It was a tremendous honor for me to run in an event representing Run The Money.  I am very blessed to have the opportunity.

With that said, I hesitated to actually go and run it. A number of things factored into it.  The seasoned runner in me hated that the race wasn’t timed.  I get why they do it, but it just bothered me.

Another reason for my hesitation was that my parents were in town with us to take us to Hershey Park. They gave us season passes to take our son and they wanted to come with us this time.  We stayed at the Hershey Lodge from Friday to Saturday.  It actually worked out that the Color Run folks contacted me because we were going to be there anyway!

And, finally, I didn’t want my brand new Brooks Ravenna 8 shoes getting messed up with the powder they throw at you. I was worried about my iPhone and headphones as well.

In spite of my initial reservations, I am so glad I did it. Participating in the 2017 Hershey Color Run was easily one of the highlights of my running career. I mean that wholeheartedly.

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The 2017 Hershey Color Run was a well-organized race.

I must say — from packet pick-up the day before to the heats and waves – the 2017 Hershey Color Run was well-organized. The race ran itself and you could tell they were prepared.  Packet pick-up on the day before the race was a breeze.

And, although I had to wait about a half hour to start my run, I could see the planning involved with keeping traffic flowing in the one area close to the starting line. It wasn’t ideal, but they did keep things moving and the runners entertained with a DJ and freebies as we waited.

It did bother me a little to wait so long since I did sign up for the first heat at 8:00 am (they also had 8:20 and 8:40 available), but I can’t complain too much. There were so many runners there that day!  My father drove me over from the Hershey Lodge and couldn’t believe the crowd.

By racing, course, and 5K standards, the 2017 Hershey Color Run was fantastic.

So, never ever judge a 5K by its “color” (see what I did there?). If you were walking (which many people did), it wasn’t that bad.

But, I have my suspicions about these Color Run people. There must be a conspiracy out there to have people think that a race will be easy because it involves throwing colored powder at people.  Don’t believe it!

For runners, the course was hilly and it had a nice big hill at the end. I feel like I was set up!  Of course, I’m kidding.  But, seriously, the 2017 Hershey Color Run course was sneaky hard – and the steady rise in humidity that morning didn’t help!

I did mention to my wife that we should do the race as a family next year. I enjoyed seeing mothers and fathers push the strollers or run with their little ones.  It’d be a nice family memory.  In fact, I told a mother pushing a double stroller that she was doing double duty that day.  Pretty dedicated there!

There were a lot of walkers out there, but it was kind of cool to be one of the few runners. I almost felt like Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld when he enrolls in karate classes.  You come to find out later that his opponents are grade school children!  No matter the circumstances, passing people always feels good – haha!

Regardless of all the powder, everything washed out easily.

If you’re worried about participating in events like the 2017 Hershey Color Run and the powder’s effect on your body and gear, fear not! I took a shower right after and washed out my clothes in the shower at the hotel.  No big deal at all.

We washed my clothes at home and – aside from the once white Color Run shirt – everything else is fine. There’s still some green paint on my Brooks shoes, but that will come out in the next rainy training run.

Conclusion: You should definitely run (or walk) in a Color Run near you.

I can’t stress enough how great of an event the 2017 Hershey Color Run was. I am honored to have participated and recommend it to anyone – newbie or veteran runners alike.  It’s definitely a wonderful experience, a fun race, and you get to be around people genuinely excited to be there.

Have you ever participated in a Color Run? What was your experience like?  Share it with us below.

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