Color Me Rad, Bakersfield

Color Me Rad is back and better than ever with its 2016 tour, staging 5K races that transform runners into mobile rainbows by launching cheerful barrages of colored gel and cornstarch. Each color station along the racetrack flings a new pigment at passersby, who wear white shirts to enhance the chromatic onslaught's costuming effects. Brilliant neon-blue, green, purple, and yellow clouds dapple participants along the way, and the race concludes with a prismatic finish-line finale as sprinters chuck colors at each other in celebration. The race's noncompetitive credo shifts the emphasis from speed to silliness, and a portion of its proceeds go to local charities.

Upon registration, each runner collects a Color Me Rad T-shirt and color guard phone case, sponsor gifts, and a race bib. Though they don't receive a gift packet, runners who are 7 years old and younger can run for free. Kids packs available purchase.