The international Color Run was brought to Milwaukee for the first time this year and was hosted by Miller Park. The participants of the run ran, walked or sprinted the 5K, which is the equivalent of about three miles. Marquette’s Orientation Staff and members of the Class of 2016, made history through attending the sold-out international Color Run in downtown Milwaukee on Friday.
Buses gathered and freshmen grabbed their friends and pre-made lunch packages while hopping on the bus to attend the event. Non-Marquette students were encouraged to tailgate prior to the run as thousands were gathering to participate in the Color Run. Everyone in the run received Color Run paraphernalia after checking in, as well as information on other 5K runs in Wisconsin later this fall.
Once settled in the park, many began stretching and hydrating themselves before the Color Run organizing team made an announcement for everyone to come over to stretch and begin lining up. Similar to the historic tradition of Miller Park’s Milwaukee Brewer fans doing the wave in a Brewer game, coordinators of the Color Run encouraged to have all attendees of the Color Run, to participate in a wave as they gathered at the starting line. An estimated 10,000 people participated in the Color Run in Milwaukee, including 400 from Marquette’s freshmen class and Orientation staff.
When the race began, so had the color. Traditionally, everyone remains free of paint and saves the package of color they received for the finish line, while getting soaked in color along the way. Looking around before starting the race, some people could not wait to be covered in color. Marquette’s freshmen were no different, as students were caked in paint before their feet ever crossed the starting line.
The run had four “color stations” where participants were blasted with bursts of corn starch-based powdered paint. After going through two of the major loops, Marquette’s freshman class and other particpants were greeted by Marquette’s Orientation Staff who were handing out water to the runners.
As runners crossed the finish line, the Color Run staff encouraged all kinds of dance-offs and color throwing madness. Marquette students were called out by the Color Run staff to start heading back to the buses at 8:30 p.m. The color-saturated freshmen put on garbage bags and wore them as ponchos. The buses were filled with many satisifed and tired Golden Eagles.
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