First off... Thanks Shanon Y for inviting and having me to be your partner and letting me experience this Color Run for the first time! Parking was crazy...Jammed pack from exiting the freeway and entering the parking lot. Funny thing is that there's no handicap parking even if you have the handicap sign. Despite the parking, I'd always wanted to experience a 5k run, however, I never thought my first would be almost everyone 'walking' when it's suppose to be 'The Color RUN'. There were blue, yellow, pink, purple and orange station (let's hope I did not forget a color) but as we went through each, some were 'running' out of color to throw because they were running low so had to use the time to 'refill'. So much for being covered with all the colors. Good thing was that there was a water station. The volunteers handed us the water as we pass by. The ONLY good thing about the run was the after party. We were pretty hyped up for that instead. Covered in lots of color. Barrels of colors were being switched so all the people can throw it everywhere. The after party was poppin! NOTE: You will def. get DIRTY. If you are planning to bring your phone, best to keep it in a Ziploc bag. AND bring extra clothes and baby wipes to clean yourself up before you enter your or someone's car. Trust me, you will thank me. Will have to see if I'll experience it again. It WAS a bit disappointing with the non running and running out of color at some stations. read more

Review for The Color Run SoCal 2013 held on Saturday May 11, 2013. BREAKDOWN: Wait long to get into parking, long walk into event, start line is always letting people go in waves, walk, walk, walk, get splashed with powder, walk, walk, smell manure, walk, get splashed with yellow powder, take pictures with your camera phones, walk, water station!! walk, get splashed with orange powder, walk, walk, walk, get splashed with pink powder, walk, you can see the finish line! Walk, wog, jog, wog some more, finish line!!! yaaay. Now what? OH! There's a DJ playing some fun tunes, they throw out colored powder packets, then everyone throws them into the air. Get freebies, go to the merchandise store, take pictures, more pictures, high five your friends, get a free air blow to get some of the dust off, and begin the trek back to you car. By the way, please take notice of a clear landmark. By the time you begin to go back to your car, cars are gone and there are lines of cars leaving and things don't look the same. The most important thing you must know about this event held at The Great Orange Park: GET THERE EARLY!!!!!!!! I cannot stress that enough! I exited the freeway around 7:15 and it took me about an hour to get into the parking lot, then another 20-30 minutes to get into the event to get to the start line. Granted, The Color Run (which I will know abbreviate as TCR) has groups go in waves, so it's ok if you're late, but if you're meeting up with friends (like I was) it's not too cool to make them wait so long for you. Plus it's frustrating to be sitting in your car trying to get in. In the meantime, make a party of it in your car. Play some upbeat music, take selfies, and just hurry up and wait. Now, as for the event itself, don't expect it to be some hardcore, awesome race. This isn't the L.A. Marathon or a 10K. It's a flippin 5K and the whole point is to have some fun with friends and get doused with colored powder. There's music going on, give-aways (I'm still upset I didn't get my free Victoria's Secret color run drawstring sack :( but I'm sure someone has to be selling one on Ebay!), TCR store, etc. Portapotty's weren't too disgusting, or maybe I just got lucky. As for the location itself, it's next to a manure plant. Yes. Manure. So during certain portions of the 5K, you got a lovely whiff of processed cow dung. Kinda gross. Also the park itself looks like an abandoned air field. The view was not scenic at all. I felt at times like I was on a march versus a fun event. It's out in the open and there isn't much to look at except each other or others running by. Thankfully I was with a large fun group and we kept it interesting. A 5K isn't too bad, but if you know you're not a fit person or the most walking you do is from your couch to the bathroom, then be prepared. You might get tired. But it's doable. I saw a woman with lymphatic condition (he legs were extremely huge) and she did it! I saw people in wheelchairs too. Lots of people went the extra mile and dressed up, wore tutus, rocked a few wigs, some wore coordinated outfits and accessories. I saw people of all ages, both genders, groups, couples, families with kids and some with babies (why?? I don't know.) I had fun. I definitely recommend going with friends. You don't have to run it, as with most 5 Ks. Running is optional. The majority walked TCR. When we saw people running, I asked "Where are they running to??" I registered early and made a team, so we all got in on the fun for $30 ! Not too shabby. I was able to pick up my entire team's packets two days before the race. Each packet came with a color run t-shirt, a bib, safety pins, a wristband, color run tattoo, directions, a colored powder packet. I would definitely do TCR again! I had a great time and so did all my friends. Next time I'll leave at 5:30 though HAHA. TIPS FOR ANY COLOR RUN: - bring your shades even if it looks cloudy - bring sunblock even if it looks cloudy - bring a slim fanny pack or drawstring sack for your stuff or leave your things at their check-in locker area - bring a large towel to sit on because the color WILL get on your cars interior (unless you really could care less!) - bring some sandals to slip on for the drive home - bring some all purpose wipes or baby wipes to clean up - bring a snack for the drive home or the long wait to get out of the parking lot read more

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This 5k really does live up to its slogan- it is a very happy environment! If it were just the run itself, I would give it 5 stars, but the parking situation was so bad... just so bad. It took about an hour & a half to drive in and park, and it felt as if our parking spot was a mile walk itself to the start of the race. But, once you are there, parked, and ready to run, it is SOOO much fun! This is not a serious race-- most people walk it, and if you want to jog or run, be prepared to weave in & out of crowds. Everyone is there to have fun- and it shows! In every picture I took, everyone in the background is smiling, high-fiving, jumping up & down. It is a great way to promote fitness and spending time outside. It is a family friendly event, and it is just about the most colorful thing I've ever seen. There was one water station on the course, about halfway through. The color stations were pretty good about throwing color- but you have to work for attention. If you run through quickly, yes, the throwers will likely miss you. If you cheer and wave and high-five your way through- you will get DOUSED in color. The DJ/dance area after the race was a lot of fun- and awesome to see the color cloud fly up every once in a while. If they can figure out a way to direct traffic in the parking lot and in Irvine by having multiple entrances and exits, there would be absolutely nothing at all to complain about. The color run is a celebration, and a festival of colorful fun that I will definitely be returning to next year! read more

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My friend and I bought a living social for this place and I had a lot of fun. Getting here was probably the worst part of the whole experience. We left about an hour before race time and were basically caught up in traffic the whole time. Right from the freeway exit until we got to the location, we were just sitting and moving slowly. Parking took us far back from the entrance, and so we had a bit of the walk to get there. I believe parking was free, but can't recall for sure off the top of my head. When we went in, since we had already picked up our race materials the day before, we were pretty much set to join the next wave of runners. It looked like some people were picking up their items the day of as there was a line for something but I'm not sure. There was a pretty bad smell at the start of the race, something from the nearby field I'm guessing? The run itself was pretty fun, every time you passed one of those color stations you got a certain color powder thrown at you by the people there. At the end of the race there was an area that sold food, had some samples, and an area to take pictures and to blow chalk off. There was also a stage where music was being played and some guy was talking to the crowd on it. read more

I usually only sign up for races if I know I'm getting a medal, but I thought this looked fun enough to do sans hardware. * I got there pretty early, so exiting the freeway and getting parking was a breeze. Leaving, however, was a different story. Since there were about 12,000 runners, the traffic was pretty hefty getting out of the parking lot. * Registration was a breeze. I wasn't able to pick up my packet the day before, but the morning of, everything was quick and easy. * Plenty of port-o-potties. * There's a crap ton of people running this thing, so if you happen to miss your wave, it's all good. They have people running over the course of 2 hours. * This event is not timed, therefore it's definitely a fun run. I saw a dad pushing a stroller while wearing flip flops. People of all different shapes, sizes, and fitness levels are there to enjoy the experience. There is no judgement happening here. * One of my buddies had the BRILLIANT idea to saran wrap our phones so we'd still be able to take some pics while minimizing the chances of color induced damage. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to partake in this race. * The course itself was pretty boring. It's at an old airfield so there's really long stretches of cement without much else to look at. They had some music playing at certain color points. 2 water stops was plenty for a 5K. * The swag included a shirt, some temporary tattoos, a pretty cool bag, a headband (yeah, I rocked that headband the rest of the day), and a wristband. * Post race festivities were super fun. They have a cleaning zone where someone is blasting you with a leaf blower to get the excess color off your clothes. Vendors were around to give away some goodies. Honest Tea decided that instead of handing out mini bottles, they'd have some coolers for people to fill up their tiny cups. Not exactly the most efficient way to be a vendor here. I was really happy that I got to enjoy this with some good friends. I'd definitely do this again, but I'd really like to push for maybe less swag and add a medal :) read more

I clearly attended the color run, based on my profile picture. Reason for -2 stars: - I don't want to be a snob but the Color Run is supposed to motivate people to be active and have a really new way to enjoy running a 5k or 10k. This was NOT the case. - Not timed: Yeah I get that they want to encourage people from all shapes and sizes and ages to join, but not timing it really makes it seem disorganized. - "Color explosions:" were pretty weak. You had little kids basically tossing dyed powder at you... I had to literally beg two kids at the pink station to color me in dye. They got a shovel and picked up all this left over powdered dye from the ground and poured it on top of me and another guy. It was fun but I basically had to look for a way to get messy, which took away from the experience. Also, the stations where you get color bombed are really short. You basically walk/run for a good 10 minutes between each color station. When you approach the color station, there are only 6-8 people manning each color station, so it's basically over in 2 seconds, depending on how fast you run/walk. - Driving/Parking situation: Another example of how disorganized they are is that they had the WRONG directions on the instruction manual. The manual told you to make a left after you exit the freeway, when you really had to make a RIGHT. So we wasted nearly 20 minutes driving in the wrong direction until we realized that there were no cars following us anymore. Once you get to the main street where everyone parks, you sit in the car for about 1 hour trying to drive to the parking lot. It was really poorly organized and I think they should open more ways to enter the parking structure than just 1 three laned street. - overall experience: It's worth trying just to say that you've done it before but go with really low expectations. I feel bad for a lot of people who say this is their first 5k because they don't feel that energy or high that most people get from these races. It's anticlimactic the whole way through: When you start, you just walk to the start line when you want to and when you're reaching the end, there's no real reward since the finish line is actually a big crowd of people commingling around and throwing dye at each other. Also, final note, but they never stated which charity the Color Run is donating the money to. I'd like to know which charity our registration money is going to since the website merely said money was going to "a charity." read more

"Meh. I've experienced better" is exactly how I can describe the 2014 OC Color Run. Unfortunately I ran the 5K Color Run last year with a group and it was SO much better. This year there were a lack of volunteers, sponsors, and overall organization and it reflected in all aspects of the run. When we first arrived, the traffic spilled into the streets and started building up near the freeway entrance. There was very little direction when we tried to park. Also, there were no signs for check-in and we had no idea where to start. We had to walk around asking people to direct us to the starting point. Last year there was also an area where they checked bags and so I figured we could bring bags with our clothes inside to change into after the run and to our disappointment they no longer had a bag check area so we had to walk all the way back to the car to drop off our belongings. Throughout the race we noticed that they also ran out of the color powder. What fun is it if nobody is getting enough color powder on themselves during this run?! The whole purpose is to run the course and to end up being covered head to toe in colored powder. At the end of the race I also noticed that they ran out of colored packets that they were suppose to give out to everyone. The only redeeming factor was the after party. The DJ and MC on stage had the crowd going with music and giveaways until around 2pm. Tips* You will get VERY dirty. Bring makeup wipes, towels, trash bags, water bottles, change of clothes, and sandals read more

I went to the Color Run in Irvine. I've been to a couple of 5Ks, 10Ks, and mud runs in the past and this event was the most disorganized run I've ever been to. It was their first time holding this in Orange County so I trust they'll do a better job next time. My experience at this even though was a bit frustrating. The directions that we were given by the Color Run were incorrect and led me down the wrong way after I exited. I figured it out after a few minutes and turned around. I left early to the Color Run and found myself in 1.5 hours of traffic from the freeway exit to get to the run. We missed our run time but luckily they were starting the run every 15 minutes. The volunteers were great and I did have fun on the run, but because of the continuous wave the end of the run was a bit anticlimactic. I was also disappointed to find out that they had run out of water. They were in the process of transporting more to the finish line for the later wave of runners. There were exhibitors giving out samples of beverages but they were waiting to serve them again at the later waves. I was thirsty and they were just standing staring at me with all these pallets of beverages behind them. One other bummer was that the powder stained some of my clothing. I went home after the run and washed my clothes the same day but not all of it would come off. The Color Run material said the powder should come off if you wash your clothes afterwards. Luckily, I didn't wear important clothes. read more

This run was pretty weak. Extremely disorganized, took an hour and a half to get in and park once at Trabuco. Not good. This race isn't timed?!?! Also not good. It was fun running the race. The paint makes things messy when trying to get in your car and stuff. I will pass on the Color Run next time. I am wondering what the $50 I paid to register went towards I had more rewarding experiences running on a treadmill. read more

This 5k was suuuuper fun. Tip: store your phones in ziploc bags cause it gets cray. If you're not fit, but still want to join in on the fun there's seriously nothing to worry about. There were people wearing jeans and some in flip flops so if walking is your thing, no one's judging. I don't even think I got a time at the finish line. Children are in strollers so... Yeah. You get the picture. There's plenty of free swag at the end like beef jerky, water, mcdonalds mini smoothies and even speck phone cases! If you want a medal for completing, you won't get it. I kind of wanted a finishers medal, but all the different colors on your face is proof enough of completion. Bring a spare shirt and make up wipes if you want to eat lunch afterwards. I had everyone staring at me like I was crazy. read more

This is definitely not a run for "race runners." This is a FUN run and advertised as such...so I don't know why a certain yelper is not pleased with his experience...but hey, to each his own. At every kilometer, there is an EXPLOSION of color! It is also why I call it the Colored Jizz Run. ;] hehee. This race is definitely not for clean folks out there because you WILL get down and DURRRRTAYYY! As far as registration is concerned, I registered online with a team. It started at $40, but as a team it knocked off $5! [All you need is FOUR people!] The downside was that parking was HORRIFIC and the directions sent out were incorrect. [minus one star for that!] Not only did we get lost, but we were also sitting waiting to get into the park for a good 45 minutes before we were able to park. Although we missed the first start time, they had waves every 15 minutes, so it was pretty chill. I am certain they were not anticipating the turn out that they received! The race itself is just boatloads of fun. There is color EVERYWHERE. It was hilarious to see the before and after photos. I left my phone in the car thinking it could get ruined, but I regret it now. There were lots of ways to avoid getting color on cameras and phones. From Saran Wrap to plastic bags, all worked just fine as long as you didn't pull it out during the explosion stations. After about a mile in, my team decided to walk/run. The cornstarch + sweat was not cool...especially since we were headed to Disneyland after! It turns out, a lot of people felt the same way. Overall, lots of fun, and I can't wait for it to come again! Depending on where I am in the fall, I may even do the San Diego one. ;] read more

I thought this was a great event, great atmosphere. I read that people had problems with traffic so we got there early- about 8:15 ish and had no problem parking, probably took about 10 minutes. We also left around 12:30 and didn't have much trouble getting out either, maybe another 10-15 minutes but honestly we didn't really notice b/c we were still buzzing about the run. I took away a star b/c even though the run was fun it was a bit anti-climactic. After the run we were asking, 'ok, what now?' It was fun the first time but I don't know if it's a thing I'll do again for $50. read more

A fun run for everyone! You can do this event even if you have never run a day in your life. to be honest you actually see very little people actually running this course with a majority of people just walking. This race is awesome and i love the concept of having to wear as much white as you can so you come out looking oh so colorful. They have color stations every 1k and music along the route as well. Definitely something you will want to do with your friends for a fun day. read more

To be honest. This is the first time I've done a color run with my friends and family. I'm honestly disappointed with the lack of organization and the fact that anyone can come in when ever they want without being throughly checked in if they have proof or not. Also the VIP package sucked! They didn't even give everything that was promised. And the run was not 3 miles (5k). Sadly disappointed. But that's just my opinion. read more

One thing I will never regret doing. Despite this not really being a serious 5k run, the Color Run concept works perfectly when you're not racing or running for time. What's so great about this event is that you can just mess around and nobody will even care. Cut the track. Roll around on the ground for color. Run it twice. You can do practically anything at this run and get away with it. With that being said, it's highly disorganized in that traffic and parking was an absolute pain, stuck on Trabuco for what felt like FOREVER. Thank goodness I had McDonald's breakfast in the car otherwise I would've been so cranky (mind you, I also hate McDonald's). There were NO instructions whatsoever about start times and where to go. You'd think the huge balloon archways would help, NOPE. The 9am run turned into a run starting at 15 minute intervals. By the time I got there at 10:30am, people were already finished and leaving. Would've been there before 9am if parking didn't move so slow. There are supposedly 5 color stations, but the blue and purple station was combined so there were really only 4 and by the time we got to this station, they ran out of color powder that people resulted in rolling around the ground to pick up any loose color. But what was cool is that they give you a packet of powder to use at the end and some people got colors that weren't thrown out during the run (like teal!). I understand why people would dislike the Color Run as it's not serious at all and it's really not a run, but rather a let's-just-play-around ordeal. If you're looking for a legit motivating timed run, might wanna sign up for a half-marathon/marathon or something else. The Color Run won't motivate you to run at any cost. read more

The colors are not non toxic like they say. The silver color is aluminum. Says so on packet. I posted pics of my unopened packet. Avoid this gate, but the rest of it is super fun!!! read more

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You would assume the color run would involve paint being splattered on you. Nope, it is dusty and baby powder consistency being thrown at your face as you run/walk by. If you have any type of breathing condition, stay far far away from this race. When you are breathing hard, one of the last things you want is powder thrown at you. The stations for the "colors" were few and far between. I would say skip this race if you are looking for a fun and challenging race, otherwise it's seriously a walk in the park with a few dustings of powder. read more

I don't recommend it at all. It was extremely disorganized. It took at least an hour to get the bibs. The route to run the course was intermingled with pedestrians. Basically it was not fun. I will neve run this one again. read more

Ok, my rating on this is mixed. The race -I'd say 4 stars--it's a LOT of fun!! 2 Stars--However, for the snacks/water after the racke is very lacking!!! 1 Star--for Exiting!!! I've done it here at the Great Park for 2 years now. And both years, the parking is AWFUL!!!! Both years, it took me an hr to exit, I thought they might have had it organized better this year b/c it's their 2nd yr, but no!!! If I do it again, I'm riding my bike & bringing my own snacks. read more

The Color Run is an easy 5k. It's a great event that works for everyone. Families can go, get a great work out, and have fun with color. College kids and adults can go, dress us, and party and dance after. It's a lot of fun, and afterwards, you can go to the leaf blower guy, and have pretty much 95% of the coloring come off. It was a fun fun event. At each k, there was a new color thrown on you, and then at the very end, near the stage, they had music going on, and every 15 minutes, everyone threw their color in the air. It gets hard to breathe in there when it happens, but it's cool to see all the colors form the inside, you're just surrounded. It's a fun event and super easy. read more

Horrible location. Been in traffic for 2 hours.

Absolute worse run ever! The wait to get in was really long and ridiculous. They had the run on the same day as some biker event so extra crowded. Once you park it's a two mile hike to the run. After the run there was no water, oranges, nothing. In fact I had to pay for a half cup of water. No water stations during the run. They ran out of color so we had to pick color up off the floor mixed with dirt and throw it at each other. I would rate this negative 5 stars if I could. read more

Probably good but plan ahead. First issue - watch the ACTIVE registration procedure you can get signed up for an auto $64 charge to your card - we tried to get there over an hour early, parking was ok, but it took over 30 minutes to exit the frwy to get into the event. We didn't pick up our packet early so we tried to stand in line to pick it up = you have to pay another $5 to pick up in person on the event day and although they tell you they have several pickup tents - they only had ONE tent so it was hours till we could pick it up. They only had a few volunteers working (why not HIRE people! you are making over $180,000 in "reg fees") so there was no person to ask where to go and what to do. We ended up leaving before the event due to frustration. read more

SO MUCH FUN!!! 5k is a fun distance to run and getting doused with colors at every kilometer made it ever more fun! We had a blast running this "race" and immediately went home and signed up for another! Fun atmosphere, not too serious, and a great morning all around! The only thing that would make this run better would be medals at the end! Sweat-bands are fun, but I wish i had a medal to hang with my others as I loved this run so much! read more

So much fun! The Color Run was my first 5K (3.1 mi), and it took place in Irvine at the Great Park. Some Yelpers complain that it was disorganized - for the first year in production, I'd say it's a pretty large scale event (with 12,000 registered runners!). And for the Yelper who complained that they had trouble getting into the parking lot, that was certainly not the case if you got there early enough, as you were told to. We got there at 7:30 AM and we flew in, and with tons of time to spare for pics. For a $30 advance registration fee, you get a white Color Run head band, a Color Run tattoo, a Color Run T-Shirt, a packet of "color," and your runner number. I like that the race is chill, and you can run and walk as you wish. We ran/walked and took pics, and it only took 45 minutes. At every kilometer, they pelt powder-based paint on you (made in India). Careful not to inhale or open your mouth in the color zones though - I definitely ate paint for breakfast!!! The con was that they said you would get colored at every kilometer, but there were only 4 color zones. The finish line should have had a color zone as well! read more

I feel very excited to have participated in the color run with all my friends, although I had a few unexpected things happen. We got there early to assure ourselves we would find good parking. The parking spaces spread far enough apart where you can fully open your door and no one will ding your car. The place also has some pretty clean portable bathrooms and foot pump controlled wash up areas with soap and paper towels. Although the first wave of runners would not begin until 9 am, I really think that the first wave could have started at 7am, just because so many people arrived early and the temperature had already set itself upward into the high 70's. Although the place played excellent music, the music did not play excellently. The speakers could use improvement as I could hear lots of popping and crackling from the sound system. While running, skipping, trolling, and twirling through the place like Tinkerbelle on too much sugar, I feel like only a few colors became chosen for each station. On the plus side, lots of photographers roll around the area, and I did appreciate that. I did get some pretty good pictures taken. Also, after my race, I felt like a mad snacker and that seemed to come a plenty after the race. I received tons of "KIND" bars, good wholesome snacks, beef strip packs, fruit smoothie samples from McDonalds in mango and berry, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I felt really made up for the race parts I did not take a liking too so much. Further, although I had a blast with my friends, I did expect the color to wash out of my clothes, as stated on the advertisement, which it did not. Also, I did not think the color would stain me so much. I had color and cornstarch on and in me for DAYS, and I mean, TO THE EARS and NOSTRILS. I went on Saturday and it did not fully come off and out until that Thursday. Lastly, this may be good for children six years and older. Not a baby in a stroller. COLORED CORNSTARTCH DUST GOES EVERYWHERE, including your eyes, nose, mouth AND IT MAY CHOKE YOUR SMALL CHILD/ CHILDREN. WHAT ARE SOME PARENTS THINKING??? I don't know, but I can sure say from observing, that bringing a baby in a stroller makes it look like some parents need a Parenting 101 class. What I really can appreciate about the color run regards the friends I went with, and the fact that I can dress up as Tinkerbelle Barbie. I am glad my money went to a charitable event though. I'd recommend this race, only if you have partaken in other races and don't mind excessive washing of yourself. read more

Read their terms and conditions before you purchase. They slip verbiage in there that makes it sound like if only you back out of the race for any reason you don't get your money back. That makes complete sense right? But no if they have to cancel the day of the race to a much later date, like 4 months later you don't get your money back if you can't make the new date. I argued with them through 14 emails, because they will not give a phone number. Just don't bother with them. Go with one of the other several color run companies. read more