I’m running. The wind against my back. I keep telling myself to just go faster. All of a sudden a puff of thick blue powder hits me.  Actually, the powder hits everyone, covering us all in blue as we run towards the next color station. This has got to be the best 5K I have ever run.

Participating in 5k’s on the weekends has become a new trend, especially among high schoolers. Most 5k’s are organized to raise money for local charities. In the past couple years however, race coordinators have created new and creative ways to organize these 5k’s making them more fun for teenagers and even families. Races like the Color Run have become extremely popular.

At the Color Run or races similar, runners (usually dressed in white) run along the guided circle path while bystanders stand behind boundaries and shoot colored powder at the runners. By the end of the race, every runner looks more like a rainbow than an athlete.

Other creative 5k’s included things like:

• Foam Fest
• Zombie Run
• Jingle Bell Run
• Turkey Trot

Junior Reanna Gregory just recently participated in a race called the Foam Fest in Dade City, “ It was my first 5k and I loved it! I will definitely sign up for it next year.”

Races like these make the running competitions a lot more fun and a great chance to try 5k’s if it is something you wouldn’t normally do. If you’re looking for a fun race in your area, Running in the USA has a tool to help you locate runs in your area.

I urge everyone who hasn’t tried one of these to grab your running shoes and give it a try. You might be surprised by how much fun you have running in a circle.