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The Color Run – a casual running event that originated in the US – is coming to the Beijing Garden Expo on the afternoon of August 10.
It is the first time this sport will take place in China, and the expo will welcome more than 10,000 fans of the Color Run to experience a colorful summer.
"Since the Beijing Garden Expo is such a grand place that people will appreciate modern and traditional gardens all over the world, it is quite qualified to hold this popular activity, so we chose the expo as the first stop of the event’s China tour. The runners will enjoy the beautiful landscapes of 128 gardens from 69 cities,” said Adam Zhu, vice-chairman of IMG Asia Pacific and chairman of IMG Greater China. IMG is a global sports and media group headquartered in New York City and an authorized organization of the Color Run.
"The Color Run will become an annual sports festival at the Garden Expo,” Zhu added. The Color Run covers a distance of 5 kilometers, starting from Lugouqiao Car Camp, passing the P6 parking lot, Garden Expo Avenue, Meishikou Road, the expo’s south gate, Hedi Road, and ending at the square near Gate 3.
There will be planned areas – a starting area, color stands and a terminal area - according to the international conventions of the Color Run.
Participants will get a package of sports equipment, including a white T-shirt, colorful powder, a disposable raincoat, a wrist strap, colorful pasters and recyclable garbage bags.
They will start running along the planned route group by group at planned times. There will be a power supply station where staff and volunteers splash colored powder on the runners every kilometer. The colors include yellow, green, red, blue and purple. At the finish line, the host will lead the runners to a carnival of games and gifts.
The color powder is 100 percent natural and does no harm to both health and the environment. The Garden Expo subway station is conveniently located next to the starting line of the Color Run, and the runners are encouraged to take public transportation, according to the organizer of the event.
Compared to traditional running races, the Color Run is more entertaining and suitable for people of all ages. Statistics show that the number of participants has increased starkly since 2011, and over 600,000 people joined the race last year. This year the number is predicted to be 200,000.
Every participant will get a single-use raincoat to wear after the race, to avoid staining the color powder on other passengers. The route of the race is mainly in the Garden Expo, so it will have little effect on transportation.
The event is expected to welcome 10,000 people. Half of the participants will be groups, and the other half will register on the event’s official website -- thecolorrun.com.cn -- with a registration fee of 160 yuan ($26).
The organizer has made considerable plans for the event to ensure safety, such as a reasonable route design and medical services.
