RIYADH — The Color Run in the Riyadh Season, dubbed “The Happiest 5k on the Planet” witnessed the highest participation in the Middle East with thousands bursting onto the streets of Riyadh on Saturday.

Organized in line with the General Entertainment Authority’s efforts to attract top entertainment offerings to Saudi Arabia, The Color Run — now the largest running series in the world, made a vibrant return to the Kingdom's capital.

The Riyadh event follows the Kingdom’s extremely popular inaugural Color Run which took place in Al-Khobar in March and saw over 10,000 people run and walk their way along the 5k course.

The event, held in the Riyadh Boulevard Zone, is the second run in the Kingdom with record figures of 20,000 participants in Riyadh. This is double the attendance in Al-Khobar.

To date, The Color Run has been hosted in more than 40 countries with over seven million runners worldwide participating in the event.

The event is un-timed and sees thousands of participants covered from head to toe in an array of different colors throughout the 5k course before collecting their medals at the finish line.

The only rule is that those taking part must cross the finish line covered in color and have a fun time while doing it!

The non-competitive run is not only an opportunity to create picture-perfect memories (and Instagram posts!), but serves as a celebration of health, happiness and individuality.

The GEA — a core pillar under the Saudi government, is supporting the event as part of it continued efforts to enrich the lifestyle of residents as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals and in line with the nation’s Quality of Life Program 2020.

Kristen Biegler, spokesperson for The Color Run had earlier said, “Since its inception in 2012, The Color Run has had become a global phenomenon, and we are very excited to be returning to Saudi Arabia. The response in Khobar was truly amazing and we are extremely excited to bring The Happiest 5k on the Planet to Riyadh. Our No. 1 rule is that everyone has fun — it is up to you whether you run, jog, walk or even skip your way to the finish line."