I was scrolling through my Facebook feed today when I saw the latest in the crazy, over the top, themed 5K trend…Bad Prom 5K. As I sat there and said, “oh my god….what next?” I knew I had to write a post about themed 5Ks today. There must be some major money to be made in these themed race series. They are so prevalent these days! After some research I was happy to find that most partner with local charities to donate part of the money raised from the event. Also, it seems that most are untimed and focused more on people having a positive experience.
Here’s a recap of some of the best worst nationwide themed 5K series.
What?
“Join the funniest, fabbest 5K ever. It’s prom, now with 500% more badness! Along the way, our hand-picked soundtrack of your favorite prom hits will keep you energized and our spectacularly decked out prom themes will amaze your senses. We’re not talking about boring crepe paper decorations in the high school gym. At approximately each kilometer, you’ll run through bold, bright prom themes that light up the world! The result is a one-of-a-kind immersive experience that will give you memories to last a lifetime and photo ops galore. You’ll have so much fun you’ll even forget you’re exercising!”
How much?
$45 for a single entry, $40 if you have a team of 4
Swag?
Everyone who participates gets one of our famous Bad Prom t-shirts (tux t-shirts for the guys and gown t-shirts for the ladies), glow accessories and and other swanky Bad Prom swag along with an after race dance party.
What?
“If we had to describe the 5k Foam Fest in a nutshell, here’s what you’d get. Take all the mud, the dirt, and the grime of a mud race, all the obstacles you’ve seen on TV shows like “Wipeout” and “Ninja Warrior,” and then throw that entire muddy obstacles mess inside the largest and foamiest carwash ever built, and you’d have the foundation for the good ole’ 5k Foam Fest. Whether you’re a seasoned mud runner or fresh to the obstacle racing scene, the 5k Foam Fest offers a unique and fun approach to obstacle racing never seen before in the running world!”
How much?
$60-$80 depending on how early you register
Swag?
Race t-shirt and a nearly endless supply of FREE (temporary) tattoos—so you can get all tatted up for the day. Not to mention of you finish the run you get the coveted Foam Fest medal. While partying with us, you get FREE access to Games and Activities like: Foam Pit, Pull-Up Bar, Mud, Limbo, Minute to Win It games, etc. etc. And to top it all off you get a free cold Mike’s Hard Lemonade.
What?
The Color Run, also known as the ‘Happiest 5k on the Planet’, is a unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality. Less about your 10-minute-mile and more about having the time of your life, The Color Run is a five-kilometer, un-timed race in which thousands of participants are doused from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer. The fun continues at the finish line with a gigantic “Finish Festival,” using more colored powder to create happiness and lasting memories, not to mention millions of vivid color combinations. Trust us, this is the best post-5k party on the planet!
With only two rules, the idea is easy to follow:
- Wear white at the starting line
- Finish plastered in color
Cost?
$40-$50 for solo registration depending on where and when you register, $35-$50 for teams of 4
Swag?
Race bag includes a shirt, a bib, a wristband, a color packet, a headband and a temporary tattoo.
What?
It’s a 5K race. Zombies run after humans. Humans run from zombies. Everybody goes to the afterparty. If you can’t follow that, someone may already have eaten your brains.
You can register as a zombie…
Would it kill you to be early? Show up 2 hours before race time to receive your free zombie makeover (blood will wash out of clothing, hair and skin) and Zombie training. You will be assigned to one of five zones within the 5K course. You and your fellow walking corpses will be driven to your zone by bus. Your job is to chase the humans, pop their balloons and terrorize them respectfully. In a successful Zombie Run, everyone dies, but no one gets hurt.
Or as a human…
As a human contestant in the Zombie Run, you will run through 5 zones of 1K each with zombies in pursuit. Each zone will be populated with more zombies than the one before, and will feature bizarre and unexpected events and elements. You may choose to wear a latex-free “Life Balloon,” which zombies will try to pop. There is no reward for keeping your life and no penalty for losing it. Everyone can finish the race.
Cost?
$25-$30 to participate as a zombie (depending on when you register), $45-$50 to participate as a human (depending on when you register). $5 discount on human registration for teams of 3 or more.
Swag?
An awesome tee, badass branded drawstring, the privilege of surviving a zombie apocalypse, admission to the after party to end them all
Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge 5K
What?
We took a 5k course and combined it with the crazy game show themes from favorites like Wipeout, American Gladiators, Double Dare and MXC. Anyone 13 and up can participate no matter what your athletic ability is! Crazy obstacles include the World’s Largest Inflatable Slide, the Wrecking Ball, the World’s Largest Moon Bounce and more!
Cost?
$50-$70 depending on when you register
Swag?
Race t-shirt (first 50 to register get upgraded to a tech tee) and a beer ticket for the post-race party. Bring cash and your ID because there are tons of vendors, food trucks, beer, etc. at the after party.
I have all of ONE crazy obstacle/mud 5K under my belt and I can’t say it was my favorite race ever but these national events look like much more of a production than the local mud run I completed last year.
Have you run a themed 5K? If so, which one and what did you think? If not, is it something you’d like to do?
