On your mark… Get set… Glow! That’s the idea behind the newest 5K trend: glow runs.

Imagine dressing up in head-to-toe neon, accessorizing with glow sticks, blinking lights, and neon paint, and heading out to jam to awesome music with friends. It sounds like a pretty awesome party, right? That’s what a glow run is—you just get your exercise in, too!

Glow runs are offered by a variety of companies in cities across the country. They’re held at night—typically starting between 8 and 9:30 PM—so you can get the full glow effect. They usually kick off with a 5K run or walk—some feature fancy lighting effects and black-light tunnels along the course—and end with a big dance party at the finish line. “Come ready to have a good time and be decked out in neon,” says Caitlin Patrick, event director for Glow Run 5K.

Celebs like Seth Rogen and Vanessa Hudgens have gotten in on the action, too—Rogen participated in an Electric Run at the end of last year, and Hudgens hosted Los Angeles’ first Electric Run last week decked out in neon pink spandex, a polar bear hat, and white fur boots. (Um, awesome!) “[Electric Run] is more like going to a concert or a music festival with a group of your friends than it is going to the park for a 5K-in-the-morning kind of a thing,” says Evan Miller, director of marketing at Electric Run.

Want to give one of these runs a glow?

Remember: Don’t be shy with your costume
Although you’ll often receive a few glow bracelets and necklaces when you get to the race, putting together an over-the-top fluorescent running outfit is half the fun. Patrick says participants go all out at Glow Run 5Ks: “There are crazy costumes—people will show up in tutus and they’ll be all decked out in glow gear,” she says. “The more glow sticks, the better.” And Miller says he’s seen some pretty spectacular work with electroluminescent wire at Electric Runs, like ladies who each spell out a letter on their shirts and stand together to form a message.

Above all: Do it for the fun, not the race time
Running event virgins: Glow runs are perfect for you! You’d be hard-pressed to even find one that’s timed. So no matter your skill level, sign up with your friends and enjoy the fun factor. “We want you to stop at different points, tag us on Instagram as you take your photos of you and your friends, and just enjoy being out there,” says Miller.

Register!
Electric Run and Glow Run 5K both hit major cities across the United States; check out their websites for more info and/or to sign up. You can also find similar runs at GlowRun.com and TheGloRun.com.

Now start searching for cute neon accessories!

More from Women’s Health:
6 Reasons to Start Running
Running Music: Playlists to Help You Pick Up the Pace
Running Tips: How to Get Started

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