In Pictures | The Colour Run 2015

“At Daman we are very keen on providing platforms that enable the community to get active and kick-start a healthier lifestyle.” Dr Sven Rohte

Described as the happiest 5K on the planet, The Colour Run presented by Activelife by Daman returned to the Yas Marina Circuit last weekend and I decided to get involved in this jovial event this year with the teenager, after I was just the photographer last year. Unfortunately ‘happy’ is most definitely not the word I associate with a nearly two-hour wait in a mammoth queue at Yas Mall to collect the race packs and another two-hour wait at the start line to be released on the track to participate. In fact I challenge any of the organisers to wait in a packed sweaty crowd with a disgruntled hormonal teenager who has a party to get to and see how they like it, trust me happy would not be the word that springs to mind!!

Anyway………rant over about the organisation or lack of it, we did eventually get onto the track and were pelted with yellow, orange, green, blue and pink coloured powdered paint at the five colour stations located at every kilometre. We got an extra dousing at the blue station where some of the teenagers friends were volunteers spreading the colour love. With a whopping 9,500 plus participants of all ages, shapes and sizes walking, jogging and running around the track it was a bizarre and colourful sight, especially with those who had gone to extra effort and participated in fancy dress, trust me there were multi-coloured tutus and wigs aplenty, even amongst the men!

The glitter colour packs had run out by the time we crossed the finish line but it looked like the after race Color Festival was a good fun mix of music and dancing. As we were running so late we just made our way back to the car (just as it started to pelt with rain yes, actual rain) to get home and wash it all off and get to our respective evening events.

On a positive note, The Color Run event was a great community event and it was lovely to see so many families participating together, even really young babies in their pushchairs and slings got in on the action. Events such as this one and the Diabetes Walk last November really help to promote a more healthy and active lifestyle here in the UAE. As well as raising awareness The Color Run is donating a small percentage of the ticket sales to the UAE’s Friends of Cancer Patients charity. Here’s my pictures of some of the fun, not sure grumpy old me and my tetchy teenager will participate next year, well not together anyway!