Paws on the Pavement event turns 5K into rainbow celebration for students, staff and community
Nearly 100 runners turned CSU Pueblo’s campus into a moving rainbow Saturday when colored powder filled the air at Paws on the Pavement: Color Run Edition.
Students ran alongside faculty members. Alumni showed up with family. Staff members brought friends from town. The 5K course wound through campus while volunteers at color stations launched handfuls of bright, eco-friendly powder at anyone who passed by.
ThunderWolf Recreation and Student Affairs organized the Oct. 11 event, though calling it just a race misses the point. People walked. They jogged. Some sprinted through the course while others took their time at each color station, laughing as clouds of pink, blue, yellow and green dust covered their shirts and faces.
“This event was about more than just running or walking,” said Calvin Diggs, director of ThunderWolf Recreation. “This was about bringing the community and the campus together. This is partially to promote healthy lifestyles while showing off the vibrant spirit of our campus community.”
Campus recreation staff led a warmup before sunrise. Then the countdown started and runners took off into the early morning light. Music played along the route. People cheered at every turn.
The Facilities team prepped the course. Campus Safety monitored the route. MCCR helped coordinate community promotion. Student staff from Campus Recreation ran color stations. Members of SLICE, the women’s tennis team and women’s volleyball team volunteered throughout the morning.
By the finish line, participants looked like they’d walked through a paint explosion. Most headed straight for the photo area. The festival atmosphere continued with refreshments and giveaways while people compared their colorful transformations.
“Who knew a 5K could feel like a party? With the music, the colors, and the energy of the crowd, I forgot I was even running.t felt more like a celebration than a workout,” Tessa Townsend, a graduate student said. “It makes me want to run more 5Ks.”
The turnout surprised organizers in a good way. Feedback came back positive. The event also raised awareness for PACK CARES, though the real win was watching the campus community show up together on a Saturday morning to do something that had nothing to do with classes or deadlines or stress.
ThunderWolf Recreation plans to make the color run an annual tradition. They’re already thinking about next year.
