THE world's first 5K color run and single largest event series in the world — The Color Run, is coming to Saudi Arabia. The countdown is on to this first-of-its-kind mass participation event ever to be held in the Kingdom, with The Color Run presented by Sunsilk coming to the great city of Khobar on Saturday March 23. Dates for the following two events in Riyadh and Jeddah will be announced shortly. Organized in-line with GEA's efforts to attract top entertainment offerings to Saudi Arabia, ‘The Happiest 5k on the Planet' will be making its colorful mark on the Kingdom as part of this year's worldwide ‘The Color Run Hero Tour' — with 15,000 participants expected in each city. To date, The Color Run has been hosted in more than 40 countries with over 7 million runners worldwide participating in the event. The event is an un-timed event in which thousands of participants are covered from head to toe in different colors throughout the 5k course before collecting their limited-edition medal at the finish line. The only rule is that those taking part must cross the finish line covered in color and have a fun time while doing it! The non-competitive run is not only an opportunity to create picture-perfect memories, but serves as a celebration of health, happiness and individuality. The GEA — a core pillar under the Saudi government, is supporting the event as part of it continued efforts to enrich the lifestyle of residents as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals and in line with the nation's Quality of Life Program 2020. Commenting on organizing this event, Sultan Al Faqir, chief operating officer at GEA said, «We are thrilled to be bringing The Color Run to Saudi Arabia. Its vibrancy matches the aims of the GEA and The Quality of Life Program 2020 objective to support and create new options that boost participation across cultural, entertainment, and sports activities. The Color Run presented by Sunsilk — being held in our three biggest cities — will provide an exciting opportunity for thousands of families to engage in a healthy activity that combines fun, exercise and charitable giving. Kristen Biegler, spokesperson for The Color Run said, "Since its inception in 2012, The Color Run has had become a global phenomenon, and we are very excited to bring it to Saudi Arabia for the first time. The amazing response we have had in the region has shown just how popular The Happiest 5k on the Planet is. Our Color Runners vary in demographics and reasons for running. With no winners or official times, The Color Run caters to everyone — first time runners to seasoned athletes. More than half of our participants are first-time 5K runners, so we would like to urge everyone who wants to take part, to book their tickets early to ensure they can be part of the fun. We are excited to see everyone who joins The Color Run presented by Sunsilk enjoy the most colorful event that Saudi Arabia has ever seen!" This year, the main theme for the run is all celebrating the hero in you, where nothing is impossible, and you are unstoppable. Once the run is over, the fun will continue at the Finish Festival, a larger-than-life celebration equipped with music, photo ops, activity booths, vendors, and more massive color throws, which create millions of vivid color combinations.
