“This is not your usual fun run,” the advanced word said.

The ad delivered on its promise on the big day (May 19) as 1,500 registrants massed inside the Municipal Plaza for the first-ever Balon Bayambang Color Run.

At gun start, the runners made noise as they made their way out of the plaza to the tune of loud dance music. The adrenaline rush was simply infectious. It helped that a clever emcee, aided by adept DJs, knew how to work the mostly young crowd, further animating the scene.

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At key points of the run around Poblacion, the sea of white shirts turned into a canvass on which dots of rainbow colors were splashed.

Unfortunately, the late afternoon rain seemed to dampen the event and even threatened to turn it into a disaster, but the organizers and the participants were unfazed. Determined to put the ‘fun’ part of the fun run real, their energy level refused to go low.

At the finish, also inside the same venue, a band performing well-loved songs drove the crowd wild. At one point, everyone was instructed to immerse themselves in a literal explosion of colors, making this part of the Color Run particularly momentous. You could say it is what good clean fun means, a legit kind of getting high.
Rewards were given to the Most Colorful Runner, Most Colorful Couple, Most Colorful Friends, and other unconventional awards.

Featuring a photobooth, freedom wall, plus a rave and mini-concert at the end, the fun-run-with-a-twist, we could say, passed the mark with flying colors, considering the odds.

This event was organized by LVRAGE in cooperation with the LGU through the Municipal Physical Fitness and Sports Development Council (MPFSDC) under the direction of Bernardo Jimenez. The MPFSDC is mandated by law to promote athletics and camaraderie among the youth.

A core group led by Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department head Carmela Atienza — namely Luz Cayabyab, Malvar Iglesias, Valentine Garcia, Jezreel John Junio, and Reddy Roland Mina — was responsible for the legwork. Invaluable help through logistics and security was also provided by PNP Bayambang, POSO, Bureau of Fire Protection, MDRRMC, and GSO.

The Color Run was also staged by the LGU family in loving memory of Mark Kebin Castro of the ICT Department, who has run ahead of the race of life.