Color Me Rad: Will it kill my shoes?

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This race is advertised with posters all over my local gym and looks like a ton of fun. A 5K with color bombs, how can that not be worth doing? I am confident I'll be in shape by then and able to do it no problem. :-)

I'm thinking I'll get a cheap white shirt, and shorts that I would never wear again anyway, so I don't ruin any of my actual "real" workout clothes, but that tactic will not work with shoes. I have to run in good running shoes, or my knees will do their best to kill me for at least a week afterward.

If any runners here have run in Color Me Rad before, please share the secret for saving my shoes!
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  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
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    Bump for help... anyone?
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I wore one of my older pair of running shoes, and they're white, but they didn't get too colored. Of course it will vary from person to person depending on where you get hit with the color. I wore a white cotton tank top, white sports bra, & grey running shorts. The shorts are clean, all the color came out, and even the shirt came mostly clean, just light color in a few areas. The sports bra and one of my socks actually have the most color left in them, but it's not super noticeable.

    But the shoes - hard to say, like I said, depends on where you get hit the most. It tends to me more upper body as people throw the color in the air and the bombers aim for your shirt, at least they did when I ran it.

    It is a ton of fun, you'll love it!
  • Joreanasaurous
    Joreanasaurous Posts: 1,384 Member
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    I did the Color Run... Which is basically the same thing. My shoes were white with grey and light pink accents and came out fine. Hints of yellow and green here and there. But barely noticeable. You have to look for it. The laces were a bit worst, but again, hardly. Maybe if you scotchgard them it would be even less so?
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
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    Neh... I did the Color Run and there wasn't much color on my shoes... but I put them in the washer anyway.
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
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    I do have a pair of older gray shoes that I can wear, and as for the shorts and shirt, I fully expect them to be "ruined" by the color. I hadn't thought about the bra getting drenched in color, so I'll have to think about how I want to handle that. I can probably wear an old one that I don't care about. It's not like anyone other than my husband ever sees it anyway.

    Thank you, everyone! I am a lot less worried about my shoes now :)
  • CMGoodie
    CMGoodie Posts: 93 Member
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    The secret: New shoes.

    Two fold purpose:

    1) In case they don't come clean
    2) Who doesn't need/want a new pair of shoes?
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    This race is advertised with posters all over my local gym and looks like a ton of fun. A 5K with color bombs, how can that not be worth doing? I am confident I'll be in shape by then and able to do it no problem. :-)

    I'm thinking I'll get a cheap white shirt, and shorts that I would never wear again anyway, so I don't ruin any of my actual "real" workout clothes, but that tactic will not work with shoes. I have to run in good running shoes, or my knees will do their best to kill me for at least a week afterward.

    If any runners here have run in Color Me Rad before, please share the secret for saving my shoes!

    it won't kill them per say but yes you will need to wash them several times and even then you won't get it all out. as for wearing shorts personally i would not (i did color me rad last year). the color gets EVERYWHERE! and i mean everywhere and it will take several showers to get it all off. i ended up keeping my sports bra (after washing it 5 times) but everything else except my sneakers was tossed in the trash (my clothes just never got clean).

    the volunteers that throw the color bombs do THROW COLOR BOMBS. huge handfuls of the stuff but never near your face they were really good about that - i did get whacked with a huge handful right in the middle of my back.

    it is a lot of fun. it's also a race i'll only do once not because of the color bombs either but because it's not timed and no free beer afterwards (actually we didn't even get a medal - T-shirts are really nice though)
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?
  • acm2789
    acm2789 Posts: 29 Member
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    The secret: New shoes.

    Two fold purpose:

    1) In case they don't come clean
    2) Who doesn't need/want a new pair of shoes?

    Yup! I'm doing color me rad at the end of the month and tough mudder in June. I bought myself a new pair of shoes for the gym and use my old ones for outside training and the races. worked out quite well ;)
  • goldiejoe
    goldiejoe Posts: 121 Member
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    Color Me Rad sounds super fun! This is the first time I've heard of it...Can't wait to be in shape enough to participate in something like this!
  • tatd_820
    tatd_820 Posts: 573 Member
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    The color washes out! Go home and put in washing machine and you are good to go!
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
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    The color washes out! Go home and put in washing machine and you are good to go!

    In that case I'll just stop worrying about it! :)
  • SusanleeBee
    SusanleeBee Posts: 144 Member
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    My sister just did the color run (my goal is to do it next year!) and her shoes were fine. Her white Color Run T-shirt that they gave her also washed completely clean. No need to fret! Good luck!
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?

    check out runningintheusa.com

    lots of races give out a free beer after you finish - especially mud races.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
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    The color washes out! Go home and put in washing machine and you are good to go!

    not always - i washed my sneakers twice and they still have a bit of pink on them. they were like that until i threw them out from wearing them too much.
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
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    <--See picture!

    I washed my shoes in the washing machine and they still have a pink hue to them. But it is so worth it! I had such a great time at the color me Rad! I would do one tomorrow if it was here!
    Just wash you shoes and clothes, you might have to do it a couple of time. I just threw the white tshirt out. Was just easier than washing it. lol
    Have a great time!
  • watchhillgirl
    watchhillgirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?

    check out runningintheusa.com

    lots of races give out a free beer after you finish - especially mud races.

    Oh Man I am checking this out! Free Beer? Sounds like a blast!
  • dragon1ady
    dragon1ady Posts: 335 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?

    check out runningintheusa.com

    lots of races give out a free beer after you finish - especially mud races.

    Thank you!! I am so there! :D
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?

    Every race I've ever done has given out free beer :drinker:
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    Wait, there are races that hand out free beer? Where do I find these and where do I sign up?

    LOL! Warrior Dash gives you a beer at the end! I was worried about my shoes for the WD. I ended up saving a pair that I had replaced. They were fine for the race although COMPLETELY covered in mud. WD takes shoes after the race, cleans them and donates them so they will live to see another life with someone who needs them.

    So I guess my advice is as long as timing allows it and you are replacing a worn out pair before your race, keep the old pair to use as long as they aren't so obliterated they don't have one more day left in them. That way you don't have to worry about them at all. And if you can't and you get color on your shoes that just never comes out, you have a story to tell people when they ask about it!

    Have fun!