Run for your lives!
The Zombie Run at Aviator Sports and Events Center on Oct. 25 was a freaky five-kilometer race that forced runners — chased by zombies — to sprint to safety. Even though the event was designed to scare runners, one of the participants said the nighttime run was so eerie that it even spooked the zombies.
“It was definitely kind of scary,” said Josh Katz, who played one of the shambling brain-eaters. “It was pretty dark there.”
Halloween props — maimed limbs, skeleton families, torn T-shirts — were scattered throughout the course. Runners ran with flags dangling from their waists. If zombies didn’t pull their flags off during the course, runners had survivor status and were supposed to receive a medal at the finish line. But one runner said that so many people outran the zombies, there weren’t enough medals for everyone.
“A lot flags weren’t being pulled,” said Katherine Ortega, who added that the race had room for improvement. “They ran out of medals, the green medals — they were supposed to the survivor one.”
Ortega said the props made things scary in unintended ways — the course was supposed to look apocalyptic, but instead it was just hazardous.
“They had put props out on the side of the road,” she said. “One guy broke his shin — I rolled my ankle.”
But one zombie said the run was a great way to get into the Halloween spirit.
“I had a good time being a zombie,” said Demetra Charidemou, who said she would run another race. “I love Halloween — I love the festivities of Halloween.”
