Nicole Aguiar/ Contributing Writer
The chance to be showered in colors for five straight kilometers is in town and students at Biscayne Bay Campus are joining in on the fun.
The Color Mob 5K is a running event that travels to places like New York City, Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, Eastern Washington and now for the first time Miami.
The Color Mob is taking place on Saturday, Aug. 17, right next to Biscayne Bay Campus at the Oleta River State Park. After the run, at the end of the finish line, it’s a festival filled with food trucks, music and drinks.
From 10 a.m. till 2 p.m., pounds of colored corn starch powder will be flung at runners every five minutes. By the time runners reach the finish line, they are covered from head to toe in every color imaginable, which is what makes this run unique from the others.
With its first visit in town, FIU is offering a warm welcome to the Color Mob by gathering volunteers from the FIU community to help work the event. In return, the Color Mob is donating money to the FIU Triathlon Club to help them continue promoting a healthy lifestyle within the community.
The Office of Campus Recreation at BBC is looking for volunteers to join the “FIU Mob” and offer their time to work the check-in booth, the water station, and many students’ favorite, throwing the colored powder at runners.
The Color Mob donates $75 to the Triathlon Club per volunteer. With this, the club will be able to cover expenses such as coaching and race fees for the Miami Man Triathlon as well as team uniforms.
As for those who would rather run, the registration fee is $50, however, there is a 50 percent discount exclusively for FIU students. When paying online, insert the promo code “FIU” and register as a runner for $25.
Students who train for events such as the Color Mob, like sophomore Doris Gonzalez, are “excited to be able to share [their] love for running with [their] friends, especially in such a fun and creative way.”
This event is for everyone. The Color Mob 5K is not a competitive run, there isn’t a timer to measure the runners’ speeds; participants can choose to finish the 5k at their own pace without the pressures of a time board. This event is intended to be a fun experience which is what attracts students like junior Sussane Duran who is always looking for a creative way to get her work outs in.
“Normally, I hate exercise so I thought the premise behind this event would help keep me interested,” said Duran.
For others, it is not so much the exercise, but being transformed into into living art by the end of the run.
“I’m mostly excited about seeing what I will look like at the end of the 5K,” said senior Tiffany Medina.
The parking for the run will be at BBC and shuttle buses will be provided to take participants over to the event. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. and runners are expected to cross the starting line by 10 a.m.
The Color Mob 5k will give FIU runners and volunteers a taste of what is to come on October 6th when the FIU hosts its own Color Run at BBC. The FIU Color Run will take place alongside the bay and the FIU Nature Preserve.
Students interested in volunteering at the event should contact the Assistant Director for Campus Recreation, Christina Reddick, at christina.reddick@fiu.edu.
About Post Author
