Color Run

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A thick fog of dust encompassed the field, and handfuls of magenta, indigo, and ocher flew past me. I blinked away the powder in my eyelashes, turning back to see the other volunteers had already begun to recoup their supplies. Bags of rainbow soot were emptied, sending billows of smoke into the already clouded air. After a few moments, the fog finally dissipated, and we prepared for action as sunlight shone onto the field. “They’re coming,” came a voice behind me, and my grip tightened around the powder-filled squeeze-bottle in my hand.

Suddenly, swaths of children ran towards us, but we were ready. Equipped with our squeeze-bottles, we attacked, covering everyone in our sight with rainbow hues. “Don’t get it in my mouth again!” yelled a little boy as he ran past us, but we couldn’t make any promises. Of course, there were casualties.

“Sorry!'' I shouted over the din as I accidentally knocked my colored powder onto a fellow volunteer’s sneakers. Luckily, he understood the gravity of our situation. “It’s all good,” he replied, as he bent down to refill his squeeze-bottle.

By the end of the first hour, we were more colorful than any of the participants. Although my group wasn’t the most skilled of the volunteers, we were certainly the most determined. When the situation seemed dire, we adapted, filling 12-oz paper cups with the chalk-like substance for maximum efficiency. The run was in full-force.

This year, Hamden Hall held its first Color Run during Homecoming weekend. Inspired by Holi, the Hindu festival of color, a color run consists mostly of being drenched in colored powder as one runs laps around a field. At Hamden Hall, parents and children gathered at Beckerman to participate in the run.

After socially-distancing for the past few years, it was refreshing to see faces accessorized with strokes of vibrant color instead of masks. From 9:30-11:00 AM, families ran, jogged, and strolled around the field, encouraging us to taint their white T-shirts or running past us before we had the chance.

By 11:00, the other volunteers and I were exhausted from our valiant effort, but the little children weren’t ready to leave yet. “Hit me again! More, more,” a girl exclaimed as we were cleaning up. Unwilling to disappoint, we obliged, pouring the remainder of our cups over her head. Finally, the Color Run came to an end, a fun-filled day that served as a testament to both the community here at Hamden Hall and the seemingly superhuman stamina of five-year-olds.