Jefferson City's first color run a success

Participants of all ages in the Central Missouri Color Vibe Race run through plumes of pink and blue color powder at the start of the 5K at the corner of High and Madison streets on Saturday morning. Proceeds from the race benefited We Can!, which provides resources and promotes healthy lifestyles for families and children.
Participants of all ages in the Central Missouri Color Vibe Race run through plumes of pink and blue color powder at the start of the 5K at the corner of High and Madison streets on Saturday morning. Proceeds from the race benefited We Can!, which provides resources and promotes healthy lifestyles for families and children.

The bass beat was thumping through downtown Jefferson City as thousands of walkers and runners of all ages were jumping and waving their hands under wispy clouds of color Saturday morning.

The starting gate for the first-time Color Vibe 5K left East High Street looking like chalk art gone wild.

And as the more than 3,600 participants crossed the finish line, they similarly were covered with pink, blue, green and yellow.

Friends Addie Burr and Stacy Maasen said "we had to do this," when they learned the trendy color run was going to be in the Capital City.

The pair decided to "go all out," making their own tu-tus, which drew extra cheers from their fellow run/walkers and spectators along the route from the Capitol to the Missouri State Penitentiary.

"I would go again right now; it was a blast," Maasen said.

She may have to wait a year. But the Utah-based Color Vibe company hopes to return, given the "overwhelming" response of this smaller-market event, said Event Director Nate Sorenson.

This was the two-year-old company's first time in Missouri, though they'll be in Kansas City this summer.

The festival atmosphere is what Color Vibe wants to create and it worked well in the historic downtown, Sorenson said.

"This was a unique setting for us; we want to do more in the city centers, after doing it here," he said.

The support from organizations, including the city's convention and visitors bureau, the parks and recreation department and the police, really made a difference, Sorenson said.

A high percentage of color run participants are in their first 5K, he noted.

"We like to think this is a gateway run to more races," Sorenson said.

The second annual Walk Jefferson City, which begins at 10 a.m. April 26 at Ellis-Porter Park pavilion, hopes to see an increase this year, as a result.

The local We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) coalition, which received a portion of Saturday's event's proceeds, partners with the Parks and Recreation Department to host the five-month walking program.

We Can! organized in 2007 and has provided grants for school gardens, taught nutrition and healthy cooking classes and has sponsored school wellness programs.

As a pediatrician, Dr. Jennifer Krause joined the We Can! effort three years ago. Healthy living and outdoor exercise are part of the Krause household lifestyle.

Her husband Matt and son Ted, 9, both ran in Saturday's color run. Matt Krause has been running 5Ks for more than 12 years.

Ted's interest has grown as he has participated in Belair Elementary School's Mileage Club this year. Students may earn cards for every 20 laps, equal to two miles, they run during recess, Ted explained. The third-grader already has collected more than 50 cards.

The color run was a first for both father and son.

The first time they ran through a color station, where the corn starch and washable dye is sprayed at the participants, "it was a little scary," Ted said.

And afterward, he told his dad, "You have pink hair!"

News Tribune photo galleries of Color Vibe 5K

Photo Gallery #1: Regular / Mobile

Photo Gallery #2: Regular / Mobile

Photo Gallery #3: Regular / Mobile

Photo Gallery #4: Regular / Mobile

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