It was a colorful and flavorful Saturday morning for runners who took part in the Flavor Run in Lakewood Ranch.

If you were near the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch Saturday, you may have seen or smelled a fog of fruity power. The edible, colorful substance was the highlight of the area's Flavor Run, which drew about 1,000 racers.

“Everybody is so happy," said 13-year-old participant Hannah Pierce. "And, like, it’s a really fun experience. Everyone is throwing colors around. Everyone is so colorful.”

Hanna says not only was the event “colorful,” but it was flavorful as well.

“There is like banana, strawberry, blue raspberry," she said. "They tasted strange.”

The messy event was fun for the whole family and raised money for a good cause.

The freshly powdered participants raced in a 5K around the sports complex’s field while local high school kids waited with buckets of the sweet powder so they could hit the runners with a serious dose of flavor.  Everyone who took part had a packet of the flavored powder to throw.

Arianna Osika, 13, had a game plan.

“Close my eyes, keep my mouth closed," she said. "I think I'll be okay."

Kayti St. Louis came to the run with her husband, Jimmy, and their daughter.

“It's so much fun!" she said. "Who doesn’t love to have things thrown at them for good measure, right?”

Her husband said the event is great for active families.

“It gets active families together and gives us a chance to bond and participate in something together," he said. "We always do athletic things and it's fun to have the little one with us today.”

The proceeds from the event primarily go to Beyond the Spectrum, a Sarasota-based center for children with autism.