The banks of Lake Burley Griffin are set to erupt in a haze of colour this weekend as thousands of runners pound the pavement for the annual Color Run on Sunday morning.
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Organisers anticipate about 8000 runners will take part in the Canberra-leg of the unique paint race, dubbed the "happiest five kilometres on the planet."
It is the second year the event has been held in Canberra.
Huge crowds will make their way in a loop from Commonwealth Park by Lake Burley Griffin while bombarded by 3000 kilograms of vibrantly coloured corn starch.
The run is then followed by a party at the finish line where more coloured starch will be thrown into the air.
Since the first event in the United States in 2012, the Color Run has become a worldwide phenomenon and been held in cities in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The event is not exactly for serious contenders and is more about having fun outdoors with friends and family, according to director Woody Sedgman.
"There's no serious side for it. It's perfect for Canberra to let their ties down," he said.
"It's more of a walk than a run. It's the happiest 5k on the planet."
Data analyst Michael Mazengarb "enormously" enjoyed last year's event in Canberra and was planning to do it again this year.
"You could see all of your fellow runners were having fun and the finish line celebration had such a festival atmosphere," he said.
Previous years have seen participants express themselves in a manner of creative ways at the event.
"There's been a couple of [marriage] proposals. There was one in Auckland last year," he said.
"My favourite would have to be a family of five people that dressed up as a smurf family. They went to the full effort with the blue face paint and the outfits."
Although popular among young people in particular, the Color Run also draws thousands of participants from all ages and backgrounds including politicians, grandparents and children.
"There's such good community spirit because it's not timed or competitive," Mr Sedgman said.
"We've seen wedding dresses, guys in tutus, everyone has a fun time dressing up and being silly."
Sunny weather and temperatures of up to 30 degrees are forecast for the event which starts at 8am on Sunday from Stage 88 in Commonwealth park. Tickets are available until Saturday evening.
