This weekend the city of Anchorage will be flooded by a wave of color when more than 15,000 are expected to participate in Alaska's first-ever Color Run.
The race will kick off from the Sullivan Arena at 8 a.m. Saturday. The Color Run -- an un-timed 5k event, with some proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Alaska -- circles the Delaney Park Strip and finishes back at the arena.
The Color Run has become a global phenomenon, expected to include more than 1 million participants just this year. Each kilometer, participants will pass through a "color zone" in which they will be covered with different-colored powder, with a "color festival" awaiting those who finish.
Mayor Dan Sullivan calls The Color Run the biggest race in the history of Anchorage, and with such a large group expected some officials have expressed concerns surrounding parking. Organizers strongly suggest that race participants carpool or take advantage of the race's shuttle system, as parking will not be available at the Sullivan Arena.
"We're trying to meet that issue with lining up some parking Downtown and we've got 37 buses we're using to shuttle people," said event director Sean DeGrey.
Shuttles will run from various locations in the city, with route maps included in an online packet of pre-race information (PDF).
Officials say Saturday's event will help support the Boys and Girls Club of Alaska, which provides after-school programs to about 10,000 kids across the state, including more than 4,000 in Anchorage.
"We work really hard to raise money from a lot of different areas," said Boys and Girls Club of Alaska CEO Alana Humphrey. "When new funding comes to us from a new donor, like The Color Run, it's unrestricted funding, so we funnel that right into direct support for our kids."
Race officials say online registration for Saturday's event is sold out, however there are still a couple hundred slots available. People can still pick up a packet between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Sports Authority store at 8931 Old Seward Hwy., or before the start of the race on Saturday.
Contact Blake Essig