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Cold, cloudy and colourful: inaugural Colour Me Green run a vibrant success

Even though the temperature on Sunday topped out at about 10 degrees, more than 200 runners came out for the inaugural 4-H Colour Me Green.
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Participants in the inaugural 4-H Colour Me Green colour run in Stettler race through a cloud of green cornstarch powder

Even though the temperature on Sunday, Aug. 28 topped out at about 10 degrees Celsius, more than 200 runners came out for the inaugural 4-H Colour Me Green colour run at West Stettler Park.

The run was an initiative of the 4-H Alberta Ambassadors as a not-for-profit event, and will return again in the coming years, organizer Aaryn Lynham said. The colourful race will travel through Alberta to different 4-H communities, she noted, so it may be a while before it returns to Stettler.

Participants ran, jogged or walked a 5km route through the West Stettler area, including along the ball diamonds and West Stettler Park itself. The 2.5km route was run twice to make up the full 5km route, and along the way, racers would trot through different “colour stations,” which were manned by volunteers.

The colours end up splattered on the customized, white Colour Me Green tshirts given to participants, and is non-toxic finger-paint and cornstarch. Colours included green and orange.

“Colour Me Green may get messy, but that’s what makes it an absolute blast,” Lynham said.

She said the event touches on the 4-H principles of head, heart, health and hands, but goes beyond that to include people who aren’t involved in 4-H by being a public event.

While some participants came in casual jogging gear, others dressed themselves up in bright wigs, tutus and other costumes to take part in the costume contest part of the run.

The run will return next year, though it will happen in Olds in August 2017 as part of the 4-H centennial celebrations there, Lynham said.