It was a colorful day in Anchorage as thousands came out for the city's first ever color run.
Starting Saturday at 8 a.m., more than 15,000 people gathered at the Sullivan Arena dressed in white to participate in the Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5k on the planet.
Wave after wave of runners hit the trail for more than an hour, beginning and finishing at the Sullivan arena after circling the Delaney Park Strip. During the run, participants were covered with colored cornstarch along the way.
"From toddlers in strollers up to some of our elders out walking around, walking, running, and having a good time, I didn't see a frown in the crowd," said Lindsey Miller, Color Run participant.
Race officials say the clean-up process began immediately, as clean-up crews began cleaning the course as soon as the last racer left the starting line.
"We have to do a dry extraction here," said Sean DeGrey, Regional Director of The Color Run. "We don't want anything going down the drains so it takes a little bit more time, but I guess by today (Saturday) it all be cleaned up minus some little outlying spots. We'll have a crew, a local crew that can go around and touch that up for us."
DeGrey says clean-up was expected to complete by Saturday evening.
Although the Color Run, LLC is a for-profit organization, part of the proceeds from Saturday's event will go to the Boys & Girls Club of Alaska to support its after school programs. Days before the event, organizers said they wouldn't specify exactly what portion of the proceeds would go to charity but described the amount as "substantial."
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