I'm a runner and I occasionally enter a few races. One in particular that I've thought about is the Color Run. It looks like fun but I was wondering how my piece would hold up. The Color Run is a paint race where runners are literally covered head to toe with this colored powder as they're running. Does anyone have any insight on the effects it would have on a piece?

Here is link to a video for the color run:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EERSfHiqT8

I can't say whether it could permanently damage your piece or not.
What I can say though is that I wouldn't do it.

It's a shame as it looks like fun!

My hair would be the least of my worries with that. I would be much more concerned with my lungs after inhaling all that powder and what ever is in it. Thought it was ironic when they put the words up "Be Healthy". Looks like lung cancer down the road. No Thanks!

Their is a popular yearly festival for Hari Krishna in Utah that I've attended with the same color powders being thrown everywhere. This stuff is TOUGH to get out. It stained my clothes and shoes permanently and took about 4-5 showers to get it completely off my skin. I can't say whether it would stain a base material or not, but I would say you would for sure have to do a de/re bond right after. This stuff would def get into the glue and might look really weird. Are you allowed to wear a doorag/hankercheif type thing? That might help. But if you go, seriously wear clothes you don't care about, I mean this stuff somehow even managed to stain my underwear. And yes, you will be blowing purple goo out of your nose for about a week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqsRFAJVN9c

I have an ex GF who ran those races. Those stains are a pain to get out and she would take a shower in which I would have to scrub the color off of her. Her hair was a very fair blonde and she would do the same type of scrubbing, multiple times, to get it out of her hair.

Using a leave in conditioner or even an olive oil cooking spray helped but then with all the sweat you just end up with it running down your head.

I've seen a lot of people run in "do rags" which seems to help that.

Additionally, most people don't seem to get too colored during the run. Yes, it can happen and you can get one of those really excited people that completely cover you in corn starch. However, it seems that the end celebration, where people get together in a crowd take their color packets and throw them up in the air is where all the color saturation comes from.