Last Sunday at 10 a.m. wave one of the Color Run, sponsored by Keweenaw Pride, commenced in a cloud of colored chalk and joyous laughter. Color Run, a 5 kilometer run, is an annual celebration of diversity. Proceeds go towards the Barbera Kettle Gundlach Shelter. Families and students alike make it out to the front of the Administration building Sunday morning for a colorful and, hopefully, nice run in the sun. 5Ks are a race for everyone. Whether you’re a hobbyist runner looking to beat your personal record, someone looking to improve their fitness or a family looking for a healthy way to bond, the Color Run has something for you. The nature of the event is what makes it such a great way to promote community and bring people together for some healthy fun.
While there are those that treat every run as a race, a large majority are doing it for their health and don’t necessarily care about their speed. The completion of their run is their goal. Many don’t even run. The aforementioned family that may participate treats it as a way to socialize and have a scenic walk at the same time. Running or walking is something almost anyone can and want to do, which is why people from all walks of life participate in it. Even if running or walking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of ways to participate in an event like this. A large number of volunteers were helping keeping the runners hydrated and safe on their run. The Husky Pep Band was on the side of the starting line, being raucous and upbeat, cheering the runners on at the start of each wave.
Paul Hanafin, a third year Mechanical Engineering student, says that, “I decided that I wanted to run a little more. I wanted to do a couple 5Ks this fall and try to get in shape.”
With a respectable 25:56 under his belt, he, like many other people looking to get in shape, can work on bringing that down in the next couple of months before the cold makes it nearly impossible to go outside without a parka and snow boots.
Starting in 2015, this was the second annual Color Run hosted in Houghton. Having raised $3,000 for the Barbera Kettle Gundlach Shelter last year, Keweenaw Pride’s work was cut out for them, though it seems like they may have outdone themselves and then some. Keweenaw Pride puts on a bunch of events every year in order to promote togetherness and help charity. If you’re interested in what they’ve got planned, you can join their organization or follow events on their InvolvementLink page. It’s exciting to be a part of something new and being able to watch this celebration of diversity and inclusion grow each year is great.
