With summer on its way, Spokane residents are breaking out their running shoes.
From the Coeur d’Alene Ironman to Bloomsday, the Pacific Northwest has many running events. These races offer themed runs and often raise money for charity. 5K runs offer students a chance to exercise, have fun, and in some cases help charities all at the same time.
The Breakthrough for Brain Tumors, formerly known as “Joggin’ for the Noggin’,” will be held at SFCC on May 18. This 5k, though smaller than most, is expected to draw around 450 participants according to event coordinator Alisha Kassam.
“Between 2009 and 2012, the Breakthrough for Brain Tumors succeeded in raising over $99,000 for brain tumor research,” said Kassam.
The race is a fundraising event, so participants are encouraged to go out and raise funds for research by asking friends and family for small donations. For more information, visit abta.org/events and click Breakthrough for Brain Tumors; registration costs $35 for adults, and $20 for children under 13.
Following the Breakthrough, Color Me Rad comes to Spokane on June 15. Runners in Color Me Rad are bombarded by colored cornstarch during their run.
“It’s a 5k of color mayhem,” said Gretchen Willard, Public Relations for Color Me Rad.
Willard says that the idea behind Color Me Rad was to take running, which is pretty mundane, and make it fun. So get the whitest t-shirt you can find, head over to colormerad.com, sign up, and prepare to be covered in several rainbowy layers of cornstarch-filled entertainment. Color Me Rad costs 50 to 55 dollars depending on time of registration.
Spokane will host the Muddy Mama on June 22.
Muddymama.com (incidentally, the place you should visit for registration) describes the event as a “Getting dirty…so little girls can get a clean start.”
This women-only romp through the mud and obstacle course aims to raise money to stop sex slavery. Registration costs between 70 and 90 dollars depending on day of registration.
For men who felt left out of the Muddy Mama, July 13 brings the Dirty Dash, open to all- comers.
Event spokesperson Gretchen Willard describes it as
“A mud run obstacle course that combines boot camp challenges with the joy of getting muddy…participants crawl through mud pits, climb mountains of sludge, scale cargo nets and jump hay bales before taking a ride down the world’s largest slip ‘n slide, all in the name of fun.”
Registration costs between 50 and 55 dollars, depending on time of registration.
An opportunity to get clean after all that mud, Foam Fest comes to Spokane on July 27. The event’s website describes the event as “The ONLY mud run that doubles as a human car wash.”
Offering a variety of muddy, watery and foamy obstacles, this 5k offers a unique experience. If simultaneously getting hit by mud and bubbles appeals to you, head over to 5kfoamfest.com for details. Prices range from 65 to 75 dollars, depending on the date of registration.