On November 30, the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa hosted the first Electric Run, a trippy nighttime 5K run/walk set to electronic dance music that saw more than 10,000 participants dressed in glow-in-the-dark costumes surrounded by a million watts of lights.
Organized by Ragnar Relay founder Dan Hill and San Diego-based VAVi Sport and Social Club in partnership with Neff, N.L.A. Sports, and Yelp, the course included a series of distinct lighting experiences staged by designers from Coachella and Dreamworks animators, along with other hand-picked artists. Spectacles included glowing neon trees and arches that changed color in time to the music, tunnels filled with lighting projections, LED light effects, glowing beach balls, and laser shows. The entrance fee—which ranged from $50 to $55—included a custom-designed T-shirt, an LED bracelet, a glow necklace, and glowing sunglasses. Racers were also encouraged to adorn themselves with glow sticks, LED-lit clothes, and neon colors.
After crossing the finish line, there was a post-race celebration presented by Southern Comfort and hosted by Carmen Electra, which included a performance by electronic music duo Sultan & Ned Shepard.
The Orange County run kicked off the Electric Run tour, which will travel to cities across the U.S. including Houston, Miami, Charlotte, Phoenix, San Diego, and New York. The next event takes place on January 19, 2013, in Dallas. The Orange County event raised awareness and funds for Movember’s prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. An official charity will be selected in each city the run visits.
