Illustration by Morgan Schweitzer
Imagine being chased by zombies through the woods. Now imagine that there are hundreds of them, oozing blood and shambling to and fro in the creepy trance of the walking dead. Finally, imagine that some of them are not merely shambling, but rather running every bit as fast as you are.
Scared yet? The organizers of Run For Your Lives (runforyourlives.com), a 5K race coming to nearby Wright City on August 18, are creating an obstacle course lined with hundreds of locals painted in ghoulish makeup who crawl, stumble, and yes, run at racers. Rather than chomp on the runners, they reach for flags on each competitor’s waist. Finish the race with at least one flag, and you’re still human; finish without one, and (symbolically) you’ve become a zombie, too.
Of the 10 locations staging the race this year, St. Louis is home to some of the most avid participants. “St. Louis is on track to sell out completely at about 10,000 runners,” says race co-creator Derrick Smith. And every zombie spot is already spoken for—not just in St. Louis, but in every city across the country where the race will be held.
You might still be able to snag a place at the after party, though: The Apocalypse Party has been planned to feature “about 15 to 20 local bands, food, beer, and activities like throwing axes and firing arrows at zombie targets,” says Smith. “Our philosophy is that at the end of the world, you want to have a great party.”
