Oak Mountain Color Run raises nearly $22,000

This year, the Oak Mountain Color Run saw its largest crowd in race history, attracting around 300 runners and raising nearly $22,000.

Even with gloomy weather, runners turned out ready to run through clouds of colored powder on March 17. Some runners were decked out in green for St. Patrick's Day, ready to be covered in more colors before the race ended.

Prior to the start of the race, founders and Oak Mountain High School graduates Mollie Shealy and Mandy Kelly thanked everyone for helping the race grow. In its first year, the race lost $200, Shealy said, but she was proud to see the turnout and money raised this year. Shealy asked attendees to raise their hand if they knew someone who had cancer or was affected by it. Most of the crowd put their hands up.

"It's sad. Cancer sucks," said Shealy. "But that's why we're here running today. For cancer, for UAB."

The money raised by the race benefit cancer research at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.