Get Ready for The Color Run Racine - This Saturday!

The Color Run Racine—the most colorful running event in America—is bringing fun and excitement like you've never seen!  This is a real coup because Racine is, by the far, the smallest city in the U.S. to host this event in 2012. As manhy as 7,500 runners/walkers are expected.

If you're coming in from out of town, here is some basic information to help you get where you need to be. If you're from local community, we have details on planned temporary street closures and parking restrictions.

Here we go:

The Color Run Racine starts at 5 p.m., Saturday, May 19 at Main Street near Fifth Street in front of the Racine Art Museum in Downtown Racine. Runners will be staged at Monument Square along Main Street beginning at 4 p.m. To accommodate the large number of participants, the run will be started in waves, approximately every 5 to 10 minutes, until all runners/walkers have passed the starting line.

Parking information:  We strongly recommend that participants arrive early!!  Parking will be FREE starting at 9 a.m. Saturday in Downtown Racine parking ramps as well as on surface lots near Gateway Technical College and near Pershing Park on the lakefront. Runners/walkers may pick up race packets from 12-7 p.m. Friday and from 12-5 p.m. Saturday at Festival Park, 5 Fifth St.  It's a short walk from the parking areas to the run site.  Click HERE for a map of parking areas and best routes to the race area.

The Color Run course:  The Color Racine is a 5k, non-competitive walk/run. The race course winds through Downtown Racine and nearby residential neighborhoods finishing at Festival Park. There are four color zones along the route in which runners/walkers will be doused with colored powder (completely safe, food-grade cornstarch.)  There will be a water stop at the halfway point and water will be provided at the finish line. The finish line area outside Festival Park finish line area includes a mass color tosses to conclude the run. A concert by arena rock tribute band "Hairball" takes place in Festival Park.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase on the grounds.

Click HERE for a race course map.

Temporary street closures and parking restrictions:  There will be NO PARKING along both sides of Main Street between Fourth and Sixth Streets starting at 12 noon Saturday. Cars remaining on the race course may be ticketed or towed. Main Street, between Fourth and Sixth Streets will be closed to traffic starting at 2 p.m.

There will be NO PARKING on the remainder of the race route starting at 2 p.m. The remainder of the course will be CLOSED TO TRAFFIC starting at 4 p.m.

Affected streets will begin to reopen about 7 p.m. after crews completely clean the area.  The Color Run crews and the City of Racine will restore the race course to its pre-race condition at the conclusion of the event.

Learn more about The Color Run (including great photos and video) at www.thecolorrun.com. We'll have event updates on the Real Racine Facebook page - click HERE to like us.

Have fun Saturday - we look forward to seeing you.