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Sunday morning started like any other along the edge of Lake Burley Griffin – calm, peaceful, cool with snippets of sun seeping through the clouds. But by mid-morning everything had changed. Puffs of paint tore through the grey landscape, covering Commonwealth Park in a cloud of soaking colour, noise and adrenaline. I was among about 12,000 Canberrans eager to take on what was dubbed ‘‘the happiest five kilometres on the planet’’: the Colour Run. It was colourful to say the least. I started to worry when a turn of unfortunate events (by which I mean I misjudged the time) sparked a rush to Stage 88. By the time I got there I felt like I had already completed the run sans powdered paint. In no time I was off on my first Colour Run. I use the term "run" loosely. It was more of a combination of shuffling and strolling with the occasional break into dance. One kilometre in and we were at our first checkpoint – yellow. It was like diving through a crossfire of fairy dust. Belts of laughter replaced cries of pain as each volunteer engaged their next target. One by one we fell as powdered bullets rained down. It was addictive. By the time we were through yellow and on our merry way to the next checkpoint we were hungry for more. Kilometre by kilometre, zone by zone, we were hit with powdered paint, like a more user-friendly version of paintball. It didn’t hurt and the aim of the game was to be hit as many times as possible. Yes, things were looking up. And then darkness fell. What started as a few drops about a kilometre from the finish line turned into a pouring of rain. I was melting. MELTING. The colourful dry mixture turned to wet batter soaking into my skin. But a little shower was not going to rain on our parade. Onward we marched through muddy trenches spattered in wet powder. Those who reached the finishing line relatively unscathed came out the other side looking like they had been vomited on by a unicorn as revelers threw their celebratory packets of powder in the air. Now glancing at my rainbow-stained skin, scars of a legacy fought and won, I know this day will be remembered long after the coloured remains of the happiest five kilometres on earth are swept from the ground.

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