At 9:45 p.m. this Saturday, fluorescent blues, greens and pinks will illuminate Millennium Park. Trivium Racing is bringing their Glow in the Park run to Grand Rapids.
Glow in the Park is a 5K where participants decorate themselves in glowing body paint and accessories. Runners and curious members of the community are invited to participate in this neon-fueled run.
Company owner, Richard Swor, says that Glow in the Park is in part Trivium's response to stylized running events such as zombie runs and the Color Run that get non-runners interested in the sport. The event is not just for serious athletes but also for casual runners interested in having a good time.
"It's more of a celebration of running than an actual race," Swor says.
Each Glow in the Park partners with a different local charity. Proceeds from this event will benefit the Family Hope Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on children with special needs.
Registered participants receive packets of luminous body decoration. This includes LED lights, glow bracelets, glow necklaces and glow body paint for runners to put on before the race.
There will be a live DJ at the event. Swor says he will be setting up an hour beforehand and there will be warm-ups in the form of dancing before the run. The DJ will also be there after the run for more dancing and an "afterparty."
The course is made up of two 1.5 mile loops with several unique stations. These include a foam station, where athletes will run through an ocean of foam from an industrial foam machine, a glow water station, where runners will be sprayed with UV color water and a glow powder station, where volunteers will throw neon powder at runners to keep them glowing.
The glowing materials at the event are environmentally friendly and do not damage skin. They also come out of clothes easily if washed soon after the event. Volunteers at the stations are trained to aim away from faces.
Registration is $50. Online registration closes on Thursday, but runners can also register at the event.
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