Fun Runs: Themed Runs
Run for Fun:
Themed races take competition to ridiculous levels
By Hilary Meyerson
Photo at right: Runners at a Color in Motion 5k race celebrate at the finish line, where they are doused in even more colored powder. Photo courtesy of Color in Motion 5K.
Once upon a time, races were only for hard-core runners, and they were serious business. Runners showed up with expensive running shoes and a uniform of nylon running shorts and matching tanks, identical to that worn by runners in an Olympic marathon. Timing chips were sacred objects. Smiles were optional, but not encouraged. Grimaces seemed to get better times.
No longer. Today, there has been a proliferation of themed races that appeal to everyone, not just the serious runner. Runners might don anything from Santa costumes to lighted necklaces to colored powder to underwear or sometimes, nothing at all. There is a new emphasis on fun that makes these races a social endeavor, with after-race parties filled with beer gardens and live music. The emphasis on these new events is less on time, and more on exercise and fun.
Mud
One of the most popular themed runs is the mud run. What can make you feel more like a kid than sliding through a mud pit on your belly? Mud runs are pretty easier to put on too … just find an off-road course and add water. Heroes Mud Run in Snohomish has 15 obstacles to add to the mix, including the world’s longest mud slip and slide. The Terrain Mud Run and the Dirty Dash also featured dirt and water and crazy obstacles.
The Muddy Buddy ups the ante by having folks run with a friend, and one of you needs a bike. Don’t ask, just look it up. There’s even a kids’ mini buddy race. There are mud races just for the ladies, like the Kiss Me Dirty or the Dirty Girl or Spokane’s Muddy Mama. Then there’s the Distress the Dress race, where participants wear a hated bridesmaid dress (or tux) to run through the mud. In the Buccaneer Rampage, you’re dressed as pirates, naturally.
Serious punishment
For those who still want bragging rights for pain, there are lots of options. The Spartan Race series, has levels from the Spartan Sprint, which features a little of three miles and 15 obstacles, up to the Spartan Death Race, which is a 48-hour adventure race. (More info on this race may be found ominously at www.youmaydie.com). Please note that promotional materials exhort you only to consider this race if you have lived a full life to date.
Other tough races include the Warrior Dash, where you’ll leap fire pits and scale walls to get your beer and fuzzy warrior hat at the finish like. At the Tough Mudder, besides mud, you’ll face an ice bath called the Arctic Enema, dangling live electric wires that administer shocks, and a gauntlet of high pressure water hoses that make you feel like you’re in a political protest in South America. There’s also the welcoming-sounding Hell Run and Survivor Run.
Scavenger Hunt Races or Mental Challenges
It’s not all physical. Sometimes, you gotta put your brain to the test. In the Seattle Urban Trek race, teams of three will put their treasure hunting running, social media and problem solving skills to the test as they scour the city on foot. In the Challenge Nation series, it’s a scavenger hunt like in TV’s “The Amazing Race”—a 5k with clues to solve that will put you in parts of the city you’ve never seen before.
Likewise, the City Solve Race may be one of the few races where you’ll prove trivia prowess and also use public transportation. (This is frowned upon at Olympic marathons).
Food Themes
Food never ceases to be an incentive. In the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k (which was run in Seattle at the beginning of March), runners are rewarded with chocolate fondue at the finish line. Some other food-inspired races haven’t made it to the Northwest, such as the Krispy Kreme Challenge, where you must also eat 12 doughnuts during the race to win awards. That might be easier than the New York Hot Dog Challenge, which challenges runners to 2.5 miles, one hour, and 10 hotdogs from various stands around midtown Manhattan. It seems the running is the least difficult party.
Just Plain Weird
Some races just defy categorization. The Run for Your Lives race series features zombies in full makeup and attire chasing runners at various checkpoints. The 5K FoamFest is a cleaner version of the mud runs—instead of getting dirty, you’re plowing through bubbly foam at various obstacle points.
The Color Run, CMY5K and Color Me Rad runs douse white-attired runners with colored powders at splash points so they cross the finish line in a Technicolor blaze of glory. Night time runs are cropping up as well, such as the Firefly Run and the Electric Run, where runners are festooned with glow necklaces and LED lights for a mind-altering visual treat. The Tribal Run asks teams of four or eight runners to relay-run 120 miles over 20 hours, through the night, while tribal drummers and fire jugglers entertain the team at a tribal base camp. War paint and animal skins are optional, but finishers will get a cool jaguar claw necklace.
If less is more, there is Cupid’s Undie Run (yes, it’s in February) or for the purist, the Bare Buns Fun Run put on by Fraternity Snoqualmie Family Nudist Park in July. Don’t forget your sunscreen for that one.
Whatever your choice of run, remember it’s all for a good cause. Your health—any run is better than none (though we’re not so sure about that donut one). Also, many runs have a charitable component, so you’re not only getting in some exercise and have a blast with their friends, you’re also making a donation to a charity.
That’s worth being chased by zombies or getting a little muddy.
Hilary Meyerson is the editor of Outdoors NW magazine and thinks that hotdog race might be worth bringing to the Northwest.
