Smiling runners start a marathon with clouds of colourful confetti filling the air

Guide To Marathon, Ultra & Race Day Special Effect Ideas

Thursday 27 February, 2025

Confetti Magic work with race organisers to add the finishing touches to the day’s events with special effects to generate excitement, fun and visual impact, creating lasting memories and spectacular media photo opportunities.

Handheld Confetti Cannons

Handheld confetti cannons are the cheapest and easiest way to introduce some colour and fun to the event. We can load the cannons with confetti to match each race’s colour, your company branding or sponsors colours. Participants will love running through the swirling confetti and it really captures the moment in press photos.

Our large handheld cannons will shoot a giant burst of confetti to 12 metres. Fire one from either side of the start line for greater coverage. Priced at £14.95 each, they won’t break the bank but will provide a real boost to the race start.

They are equally well received for that celebratory moment as the winner crosses the finish line at the end of the race. Small confetti cannons can work just as well here and are priced at £7.95.

As you would expect, all our confetti is biodegradable but, if you are concerned about leaving a mess, we also have BioFetti, water soluble rice paper confetti cannons.

Handheld Streamer Cannons

If you have a stage or warmup area, streamer cannons are a great addition to get everyone energized and motivated. Especially good for fun runs, runners love to gather up the streamers and run with them, also assisting with the clean-up for you! Streamer cannons are priced at £8.95 to £19.95 each.

Operated in the same way as the handheld confetti cannons, a simple twist of the base of the cannon will fire a volley of streamers up to 25 metres!

Remote Control Confetti Cannons

Hire a pair of remote control confetti cannons, place one either side of the start line and you have the perfect race start on the push of a button. Each preloaded confetti cartridge will shoot biodegradable confetti in the colours of your choice to a distance of 12 metres.

Buy extra reloads in each race colour and you can easily repeat the effect for each start. Available in biodegradable tissue confetti or BioFetti, water soluble confetti.

The cannons are wirelessly operated and battery powered, so no need for power or control cables to be run across the start line. Simply, put them in position, plug in the cartridges and you’re ready to go in minutes.

Prices start from £130 + vat to hire a pair of cannons, two cartridges, delivery and collection.

Turbo Confetti Blasters

If you are looking for a confetti effect that can run for longer as the runners stream across the start line, our fan powered Turbo Confetti Blasters will do just that.

Positioned either side of the start, our crew will operate the machines and run them for as many minutes as required to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the experience.

These are very large machines so can only be supplied with our crew and transport. Each machine requires a 13A power supply.

Call for quote depending on location

CO2 Jets

If you are working on a sensitive site, you may prefer an option that will leave no trace. CO2 Jets will give you all the visual impact with no fallout.

Either fixed to the gantry or to stands either side of the  start, the CO2 Jets will blast columns of white cryogenic vapour to 8 metres. This can be pulsed as the frontrunners start for added impact.

Each side of the start line can be controlled wirelessly avoiding the necessity control cables to be run across the track. We can bring our own power if required

Call for quote depending on location

Flame Projectors

With similar advantages to the CO2 Jets in terms of repeatability and zero fallout, flame projectors provide a different feel and could suit more extreme events.

Firing jets of fire from the gantry or stands, this is an effect you both see and feel with bursts of heat radiating from the effect.

This is a low power system and can be operated wirelessly, without the need for a fixed power supply.

Given the potential hazard level of this effect, it can only be supplied with one of our operators to ensure that it is safely set-up and operated.

Call for quote depending on location

T-shirt Cannons

If you have a sponsor who wants to engage the audience in a unique and fun way or just want to create a buzz in the build-up to the race start, T-shirt cannons are just the thing to launch merchandise into the audience.

People love free merch and will gladly gather around a stage when there’s the chance of a freebie.

As well as T-shirts, they can launch hats, scarves and socks. We’ve even launched pants and soft toys.

Available for hire from £205 + vat, delivered and collected, we can also bring them along as part of an operator fired package.

Bubbles

Finally, to add the sweet smell of success to the end of the race, we can provide aroma bubbles to drift around the finish line and welcome the weary back home.

Using pro bubble machines and strong fans, we can direct the bubbles over the track for the runners to run through. We add aromas to the bubble fluid to scent them with flowers, sweets, biscuits, fruit; the options are vast.

With the field now spread out, we can run the effect for an hour or more to capture the majority of competitors.

Food to thought… Snow machines for winter events, foam cannons for fun runs, coloured smoke as an alternative to confetti.

Ready to take your event to the next level? Contact us today on 01727 220386 or visit www.confettimagic.com

To WOW, thrill, dazzle and excite at your next event,
just add a touch of Confetti Magic...

bringing live events alive!

No matter what your needs we are sure that here at Confetti Magic we already have it covered.
Call NOW on 01727 220386 or complete the form below to find out more.