Run Mama Run!

Today a few expat friends and I participated in the first Rainbow Run Suzhou.  In a country known for its exceptional knock-offs and copies, perhaps you can consider this run a knock-off of the the Color Run (which is coming to Shanghai, but reached capacity within 18 minutes of opening registration).  Copy or not, we had a great time!  

At certain points along the run participants are doused with colored chalk and by the finish line everyone is quite "colorful".  

White shirts and all clean.  That will change soon.

We arrived more than an hour before the race, which gave the local media plenty of time to interview the foreigners (all 10 of us).  I am pretty sure our faces and names are on CCTV, in the local newspaper and in many, many local Chinese We Chat feeds.

Talking to a newspaper reporter, such a good sport!

The emcee for the event talking to my friends.  They
were invited to come to the television station on another day
to play a game and perform a song and dance!

We added our hands to the wall.

We thought we should become friendly with the doctor on
site...just in case.  Turns out his daughter is studying in the US.

We decided to be friendly with the guards too.  

Anytime we stood still too long, this is what we saw.  They
were taking pictures of...us.

As we were waiting for the race to start, we saw a big group from the Caterpillar (the company my husband works for) plant in Suzhou .

I invited myself into the picture!

My cheering squad.  Although they somehow missed me crossing the finish line.  I must have been too fast.

Can you spot the Caterpillar flag?

 At the start...

And, the finish line.

Perhaps my children missed me at the finish line because they were at the coffee shop eating nuts.  Hmmm.

All done and very colorful.

We made it!

We had become living/breathing rainbows.

No one wanted to give me a hug!

They did pose for a picture.

And while we were posing, a few others decided to take our photo too.

Give mama a kiss!

 That's better!

I can now cross "running a race in China" off my bucket list. Check!