By Saeed Haider

Saudi Gazette

AL-KHOBAR — Saturday morning saw Al-Khobar covered with beautiful colors as thousands of residents from a cross section of nationalities joined together to participate in non-competitive 5 km Color Run along Al-Khobar beach.

The event organized by Sunsilk gave a sense of rejoice to Indian community who had celebrated their national festival of colors Holi a day before. Sunsilk has already organized the similar event in the UAE and has plans to take the run to Jeddah and other part of the region.

Since its debut in 2012, The Color Run has hosted more than 7 million Color Runners at 1,000 events in 40+ countries and is now the single largest event series in the world. With no winners or official times, the 'Happiest 5K on the Planet' celebrates healthiness, happiness, and individuality, helping participants achieve their fitness goals by providing a fun, unintimidating running environment.

The basic concept behind the event is to motivate people to focus on their and their families’ health. Motivating family to exercise regularly can seem like a challenge, but it is of utmost importance to their health and wellbeing. Fun events like The Color Run presented by Sunsilk, a 5km untimed run for people of all ages and fitness levels, where participants and spectators are showered with color, is a great way to have fun with family and community whilegetting fresh air and exercise.

Launched for the very first time in Saudi Arabia, in association with the General Entertainment Authority, The Color Run is the perfect way to kick-start fun exercise regime.

Running is the easiest and most common form of exercise and doing it as a family will not only provide a fun way to spend time together, but it will help improve family life in all aspects. As families participated in the Color Run this morning, it created a special bonding opportunity with their children, improve family’s health, and teach little ones a valuable lesson about the importance of fitness in developing into happy, healthy, active adults.

The organizers served to the participants tasty breakfast that was high on whole and unprocessed carbs, for example; a muffin and an apple, a toast with jam and a piece of fruit, or a bowl of cereals topped with raisins or any other dried fruit. Organizers kept warning participants not forget to hydrate. They encouraged participants, particularly children to drink frequently before and during - and even more after finishing the run.

Most of the participants wore white clothes that were covered with beautiful colors creating a festive atmosphere and the participants looked more like revelers than race participants.

At each kilometer mark, Color Runners were doused from head to toe in a different colored powder.

To call it a 5 k run will not be correct. There was hardly any organized run. Revelers were let loose in a marked area where they danced, jogged, ran and jumped. They all were covered in colors

The Color Run is an untimed event in which thousands of participants run, jog, walk and skip their way round 5k as they 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 General Entertainment Authority, which joined hand with Sunsilk in organizing the event, was established in support of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 with aims to develop and regulate the entertainment sector and create a vibrant society through providing exciting entertainment options fit for all segments of Saudi society throughout the Kingdom.