By Sophie Gallagher

A kaleidoscope of colour marked the start of Brighton’s first Color Run on Saturday morning.

A cloud of rainbow paint marked the start of the race at 11am on Madeira Drive, as 6,000 entrants joined the lively party atmosphere dressed from head to toe in white.

As they completed the 5k course from the Marina to the Palace Pier their clothing was decorated in colour.

Race organiser Joe Rafferty praised all of the spectators who came to support friends.

Click here to see pictures from the event.

He said: “Brighton has embraced the Color Run, every taxi driver we met and every pub we went into, people knew about it and I can’t praise Brighton enough for the way they have treated us.”

Many of the competitors were running in aid of charities, particularly Stand Up to Cancer and Cancer Research UK, the official partners of the event.

Linda Folkes, 49, from Worthing, was running with her two daughters, Samantha Bolingbroke, 24, and Louise Bolingbroke, 28, in memory of her mother Maureen Dale, who passed away from cancer a couple of weeks ago.

She said: “We joined up to the race before she passed away so she knew we were going to do it, she was a true Brightonian so she would be very proud.”

Before the run, entrants joined in with an impromptu dance class on the seafront.

Nat Ilenkovan, 23, and Stephanie Lawrence, 23, both from London, said Brighton was the “perfect venue” for the race, which has been dubbed the happiest 5k in the world.

Paul Moakes, 33, Joe Grantham, 16 and Steve Grantham, 29, travelled from Maidstone with Coxheath Running Club to join in the day.

They were part of a 36-strong team who were running to raise awareness of the club – before taking on the Great North Run on Sunday and climbing Scafell Pike on Monday.

They said: “We do a lot of charity work as a club, for our local village and local school.”

The Brighton Color Run, launched in America in January 2012, was the last event in the UK series for 2013.