waivers of liability, and always have the option to bypass any obstacle on the course. The Inland Northwest, however, hasn’t yet hosted one of those extreme obstacle races. Here, the popular Dirty Dash, a toned-down version of these mud runs, is set for July 19, and has already sold out all but one of its start times. That same day, the Kootenai County Fairgrounds hosts the locally organized Muddy Miles, a family-friendly mud run that raises funds for the nonprofit health-care programs at Heritage Health and the Kroc Center.
R
unners who share pictures of themselves covered head to toe in dye or globs of mud on social media have helped ignite the trend, Running USA found. Other than the apparent social element, it’s largely the sense of achievement and physical challenge for many first-time 5K runners that’s made these non-traditional races so successful. About 1,500 people turned out for Run or Dye’s first event hosted in Spokane in early May, including first-time 5K runners Emily Frank and Monika Ide, both 24. The women saw people talking about the event on their Facebook feeds and decided to sign up. The night before the race, they decided to create colorful tutus after seeing some of other participants’ elaborate outfits, from furry leg warmers and neon tights to superhero costumes. Now that the friends have conquered their first 5K together, they say they’re already eager to try a 10K, and maybe even a half-marathon. “We find that a lot of people who participate are first-time runners,” says
Run or Dye’s communications director Katie Langston. “The experience of getting covered in color is so outside your normal, everyday life. People really love it, and they use [their experience] as a goal and inspiration to get fit and to be their best selves.” Fireplace Center • Heating & Cooling The Salt Lake City-based company Outdoor Living • Sales that organizes the • Service race, Viral Events, • Installation held its first color race back in March 2013, and has since hosted more than 150 events across the U.S. and Canada, says Langston. It recently announced a new color race series in the UK, and plans Turn to the Experts at to continue expandFalco’s for all your ing its events across Air Conditioning & the world. Furnace needs Run or Dye joins 4th Generation, Family Owned several other color Serving the Inland Northwest Communities run series in the growfor over 80 years! ing and highly-competitive fun run mar9310 E. Sprague Ave • 509.926.8911 ket, with each trying www.falcospokane.com to stake out its claim in being unique or the “happiest” event of its kind. There’s also the Color Run and Color Me Rad, both of which are hosting FILENAME: AD SIZE: PUB races in the Spokane area later this summer. FALCOS_060314_6THPG 6TH PG V INH Despite the originality claims, all three are PUBcornstarch DATE: AE: AA MODIFIED: similar in using the same powDS: JS DK FRIDAY, 5/23/2014 - 3:23PM dered dye, being 5Ks, 06/03/2014 and culminating with rave-esque festivals of FULL club music and blasts FILEPATH: Advertising:Accounts:D-F:Falco's Fireplace and Spa:06.03.14 6th pg:Falcos_060314_6thpg of more colored powder into the crowd. URLalso LINK: All three for-profit series partner with local charities in each http://www.inlander.com host city to donate a Restore Your Vitality portion of the race proceeds. Langston says the inspiration for Run offering... or Dye, as well as other color runs, comes Functional Medicine from the Holi Festival in India, a Hindu spring celebration dating back thousands of Hormone Balance years that’s recently been embraced in nonMetabolic Assessments Hindu cultures for its message of spreading love — and color. Nutrition Counseling “I think there is something profoundly moving about that,” she says. “You embrace Free 20 Minute Consults the present moment, and the color is a symbol to throw away bad feelings and ‘live life in full color.’”
Aging Gracefully
UPCOMING NON-TRADITIONAL FUN RUNS COLOR ME RAD: June 14, Spokane County Raceway ZOMBIE BOG JOG: June 28, Cow Girl Co-Op DIRTY DASH: July 19, Riverside State Park MUDDY MILES: July 19, Kootenai Fairgrounds BARE BUNS FUN RUN: July 27, Kaniksu Ranch
THE COLOR RUN: Aug. 3, Downtown Spokane THE SLIME RUN: Aug. 23, Spokane County Raceway IN YOUR FACE MUD RUN: Sept. 13, Spokane County Raceway HAPPY GIRLS RUN: Sept. 27, Riverside State Park
Deaconess Medical Building 801 W 5th Ave., Suite 104 509-747-7066 Visit our website for more information
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