The hundreds running and walking the track outside Cassopolis’ Lowe Center Saturday morning didn’t consider the shocking orange or vibrant blue blotches on their otherwise pristine white T-shirts.

They wore them badges of honor.

The Cass District library held their first ever “Super Fun Color Run,” that morning outside the county COA headquarters. Nearly 300 runners and walkers of all ages hit the track, and, by the time they were finished, were caked in colored powder thrown at them by members of the county library staff.

The event served as a massive kickoff for the library’s summer reading program, which begins this week, said Director Jennifer Ray. The staff presented the event free of charge to people, with the sponsorship of several local companies like Dussel’s Farm Market and Harding’s Friendly Markets.

“We wanted to make this a free and fun experience,” Ray said. “There’s no set amount of laps people have to run, nor is there a winner, because everyone’s a winner.”

The idea of a color run was devised by members of the library’s teen advisory group, led by Youth Services Coordinator Stephanie Knepple, as a way of launching this year’s superhero-themed reading program off with a bang. The run appeared to hit big with patrons and other throughout the county, as nearly 200 people preregistered for the event.

“People just kept signing up and signing up,” Ray said.

In preparation, the staff spent the last several days combing 50 pounds of cornstarch with water and food coloring, which served as the sticky colorful decoration giving the color run its name.

“It was really pretty in the back room, with all the bags of color sitting around,” she said.

In all, staff members had 40 one-gallon bags with them at the event, with their contents eventually splashing the shirts of runners at Saturday’s event.

Ray and others with the library found the color run to be a tremendous success, Ray said.

“I think people will be asking for it again,” she said.

The Cass District Library will be holding a variety of other events related to their summer reading program at all four of their branches, located in Cassopolis, Edwardsburg and Howard and Mason Townships. For more information people can call the library at (269) 445-3400.