Elizabeth Pulanco/ Winonan

The Color Dash: a 5K that can be enjoyed at any pace that leaves participants with more than sore legs in the morning.

On Sept. 21, Winona will host the Color Dash. The event will be located on Prairie Island as a fundraising organization to help local charities around the country.

It is similar to the popular Color Run, but the Color Dash is only held nationally, not internationally. There is one strong difference between the two. According to the Color Dash’s website, “The Color Dash is the only national colored 5k that gives 50% of every registration back to the partner charity.”

This weekend, the 5K will be helping out the Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center. The Hiawatha Valley Mental Health Center offers several services across Minnesota for both adults and youth facing mental health issues.

Winona State University’s Active Minds club will have a team registered in the dash. Active Minds is a student run organization with the goal of raising awareness of mental health issues.

There is plenty of room for other teams to join.

One distinguishing feature of the Color Dash is the food grade cornstarch and food grade coloring thrown at the participants. After every kilometer, a color explosion takes place, and runners find themselves covered in a (washable) variety of colors.

There are also fun events such as costume contests set to take place after the dash. Those who are inexperienced in the running department shouldn’t be worried. Running is not required at the Color Dash, and the event is not timed.

Besides giving back to the local community, one of other goals of the Color Dash is to have fun, especially with the family. At the Color Dash, there is no age limit. Founder Hamid Torabpour found inspiration for the Color Dash when he was trying to find a way to have fun with his family without breaking the bank.

“One thing we focused on with the Color Dash was creating a family friendly event the entire family can go to and have fun and not clear out the bank account,” Torabpour said.

Registration for the Color Dash can be an important element of the event because what is received upon registration is part of the money that will be donated to the community. Registration is $40 for individuals, $35 per team and $85 per family. A packet, with a Color Dash t-shirt and other merchandise is included with registration.

In Winona, packet pick up will be at 10 a.m. with the dash itself starting at noon.

If someone wants to keep the colors they get from the dash on their t-shirt, they have to spray it with vinegar and iron. In order for skin to return to its normal tone, it may take a few showers.