Electric Run lights up the street in a rave-style race

Chris Lopez

The harmonious mixture of lights, sound and high-energy music of a rave paired together with the fitness of a 5k run came together to create a unique experience like no other.

Electric run was held for the first time in Sacramento on April 20th at Cal Expo.

The event was well received with over 9000 neon-clad runners of all ages, ranging from seasoned marathon runners, to young children.

“Maybe next time they should raise the maximum number of participants to 15,000 to 20,000,” said event runner Earl Denton. “The more the merrier.” 

Participants enjoyed beautiful lights and décor, which changed consistently throughout the run including a neon lit garden area strewn with dozens of colorful lanterns throughout, a fountain illuminated with various hues of pink, blue and yellow and indoor sections with ever-changing projections and lighting.

“Everything is created truly by the runners,” said Drew Woodley, the Marketing Mayor of the Electric Run.

Runners also enjoyed the sounds of some of top electronic dance music artists of today including Zedd, Krewella and Cazzette.

“This was a great venue,” said Dan Hill, founder and CEO of Electric Run. “We had a lot of cool features that were fun to light up.”

Hill said there are an additional 40 runs that will held this year throughout the U.S.

A portion of the proceeds from this run will be donated to the non-profit organization Best Buddies, which works to provide integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Hill created this event 8 months ago and production was handled by the same team behind such events as EDC, Coachella and the X-Games and is sponsored by Neff clothing brand.