Tulsa 5K Run Explodes With Color

Athletes always look different at the start of a race than as they cross the finish line. But there was one race in Tulsa where the "before" and "after" shots are unlike any others.

It was a sea of white, but not for long. This was a race of a different color.

"The Color Run is a new man. It's a new beast. So we didn't really have other models to follow besides it's a 5K and you have to run the course. How do we make it fun," said Color Run Race Director, Sean DeGrey.

The first "Color Run" was held in Tulsa. Runners and walkers started in Veteran's Park, trotted down Riverside and back again. The course gets more colorful as it goes along, and so do the runners.

Around 10,000 runners participated, each becoming a canvas for color as volunteers greeted one another with "magic color dust" at each kilometer.

"I like when you run through the actual color sections. They have music playing, spraying you with color, getting you all amped up to keep running. It was a blast," said runner Chris Sorenson.

The race was put on by Tatur Racing, the City of Tulsa, and Riverparks Authority. Participants say it was pure fun.

"It's incredible. And the energy, you can see it. You can't walk around here without seeing a smile. That's the beautiful thing about the Color Run. That's why it's the happiest 5K on the planet. It really is," said DeGrey.

The "magic color dust" is actually a type of food coloring and corn starch mixture.

The Color Run is a tour that will visit several U.S. cities this summer.