Hello Kitty Run: The Road Race Craze Meets the Popularity of Hello Kitty

 

This lightning-ticket-level Hello Kitty RUN, themed around the “Sweet Queen” Hello Kitty’s global debut act “The Power of Sweet,” is scheduled to take place on January 11, 2014 (Saturday) at 6:00 AM at Dajia Riverside Park and Taipei Children’s Amusement Park. The 5-kilometer course attracted 12,000 runners from both Taiwan and abroad, all starting their sweet run alongside Hello Kitty.

On the day of the event, in addition to Hello Kitty and her A-list celebrity friends who came to show support—including Taiwan’s triathlon godfather Lai Hsiao-chun, polar running queen Lin Fang-chen, and activity ambassador Sasa, who was running her first ever road race—there were also children from the Child Welfare League Foundation and families from the Lishin Shelter taking part. This symbolized that whether you’re a pro, a newbie, a child, or a family, everyone was there to sweat it out and spread that energy across the world.

 

Sasa, herself a huge Hello Kitty fan, dressed up in a sporty yet sweet style to match Hello Kitty’s vibe, even topping off her look with a big bow in her hair, looking especially cute and dreamy. This also showed how the run attracted many Hello Kitty fans, reigniting the passion for exercise in those who don’t usually enjoy running or working out. Sasa mentioned she not only snapped up tickets the moment they went on sale but also got many friends to join in the fun.

Li Ming-hsun, General Manager of Sanrio Taiwan, said: “This run is of great significance as it’s the world’s first. Department heads from Sanrio branches in eight countries around the globe came to observe. Mainly, Hello Kitty has long been known for her sweet image staying in store windows, but we hope this run will bring an attitude and message about life. It gives those who’ve never taken the first step toward exercising a new breakthrough—that’s a kind of sweet power unique to Hello Kitty.”

 

Regarding the high ticket price of NT$1,280, the organizers responded with great giveaways and carefully planned event details. Sanrio Taiwan announced the long-awaited six-item gift set. Runners will soon receive a beautifully packaged Hello Kitty RUN six-piece limited-edition gift box. On the day of the event, aside from experiencing a semi-professional race-level sports itinerary, participants will also enjoy little surprises from Hello Kitty along the way—like a mysterious token at the turnaround point, and upon returning to the finish line, there will be hot ginger tea and specially made handmade apple-shaped cookies to recharge your energy. More importantly, the organizers also launched a sweet running app, which all runners can download to get the latest updates, as well as access navigation and parking information.

 

Great care was also put into the route and venue planning. Choosing Dajia Riverside Park and the Children’s Amusement Park itself symbolizes the streetscape along the Thames River, the hometown of Hello Kitty. The large Hello Kitty balloon arches at the start and finish lines, along with 10 different Hello Kitty Q&A character cutouts along the route telling little stories about Hello Kitty, all serve to cheer on the hardworking runners. There were also cheer squads at every kilometer, using dance and music to express the determination to keep going and give it your all.

 

The post-run party was also quite lively, featuring recent new music release artist Chen Shih-an singing his hit song “The Queen,” dedicated to the sweet queen Hello Kitty. Yin Fan, the singer of the popular theme song “Tears Collapsed” from the drama “Empresses in the Palace,” also warmed the runners’ hearts with her soothing voice. Additionally, there were several lucky draw prizes including round-trip tickets to Japan (including entry to Rainbow Land), iPad Air, mobile phones, and more. At the end, participants could also enjoy the children’s amusement park for free, reliving childhood memories.

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