There is no better way to spice up a boring old run than with over 10,000 pounds of multi-colored cornstarch. On Feb. 20, Phoenix is hosting the Color Fun Fest 5k at Ak-Chin Pavilion. Color runs are an increasing popular trend that began in March, 2011 when The Color Run group embarked on a mission to combine exercise with fun.

The Color Fun Fest has races both in the daytime and at night. The night time race features special UV black lights that make runners light up like fireflies once they’re dowsed in the many colors of the rainbow. Typically, these runs have four or five different color stations for runners to pass through during the 3.1 mile course.

There’s no time limit so participants are welcome to walk, run or anything in between. This color run also happens to be part run and part concert, as the finish line area includes live music performances, free food and other fun activities for participants.

The main goal of color runs is to encourage people to get motivated, get up and get exercising. As more and more studies show the correlation between exercise and brain function, it’s more important than ever to be active.

Senior Olivia Kem ran in a color run last year and said, “It was a huge event, but it was really well organized. My friends and I started as a big group and finished at our own pace. They had volunteers throughout the course who even threw some more color on us to spread out the excitement. We took some cool pictures during and after the run too. It was definitely something different and fun to do with a bunch of friends.”