5 different bright pastel powders covered runners on Saturday morning as we coursed our way through downtown Charlotte. Lots of sunshine and cool breezes as most chose to walk this event since it was non-timed and all about the color!
Groupon and Amazon both offered a 50% off deal for the entry fee which hundreds of locals took advantage of. Packet pick up for all who bought the 50% off deal was at Dick's Sporting Goods in the Southpark Mall. There was NO early registration for those that purchased the vouchers which was a slight sore spot for some. In order to register, participants either had to drive in to Charlotte Thursday or Friday or show up at least 2 hours before race time on Saturday morning. Not the best of plans when so many come from the surrounding areas.
While I am appreciative of the discount and the opportunity to do a low cost color run, I was not a fan of the sign up process. To their credit though, Color My Run had more than enough shirts in all the right sizes for all who used the vouchers, thus the only concern was the drive or extra time allowance, depending on what the registrants preferred.
My only other grievance was the lack of a water stop on this course. Breathing in all that powder dust, on a day that was 80°, with many first time runners / walkers, this was NOT an acceptable action. Water could be found under a tent post race. Dasani was a sponsor and so efficiently provided case after case of the 16 oz bottle water at room temperature. They ran out once at the 55 min mark, but quickly refilled the tent. Kudos to Dasani, boo to Color My Run for not providing en route water stops.
I will also state, this had to be, based on appearance and sponsor support, one of the most low cost races I've ever been to (low cost for the event organizers, not for the runners). It was non timed so there were no chips or timing equipment (I used my Garmin to track time and distance). There were no post race food items of any sort, and it was a 5K. Garmin tracked me at 3.03 for the Finish, others came up with slightly longer distances. There was a registration tent, a water tent, a Color My Run Store tent, and a Volunteer tent. That was it. Period. I'm trusting that all the money NOT used for pre / post race amenities went directly to Levine Children's Hospital. A $50 race should be better equipped.
Okay... back to the fun part. The powder splash and all the fun pics were very much worth coming for, even with all the areas that need improvement. It was a safe, fun, environment for all who attended and I would do it again.. with a Groupon... this is NOT a race I would pay $50 for. Just my .02. Add all the norms for a typical 5K, including timing, and I'd reconsider, but as it is now, no. It's not a $50 race, more like a $15 race. On a scale of 1-10, including the uniqueness, I'd only give it a 3.
Unofficial Time: 52:00