Ever wished you could run for your life away from a zombie who craved the delicious taste of your brains and flesh? Or wanted to live out your Walking Dead Fantasies without all the weird looks from your friends, family and loved ones?  Well you’re in luck, thanks to the Decatur Running Club and their 5k Zombie Run you can do actually that. If you’re thinking this is sounds crazy and or not for me, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

You can enter the Zombie 5k race as a human (runner) for $25. If you prefer to be a zombie you can pay the $25 towards pulling humans (runners)  flags as they go by your “Zombie Zone.” If you would rather walk the race and don’t want to be a human or zombie you can pay $25 to be walker instead. All participants in the Zombie 5k will receive a bag with a T-shirt and other goodies.

All humans (runners) will wear 3 flags on a belt while completing the 5k and must protect those flags as though they are your life. The zombies are stationed throughout the 5k race ready to chase and steal your precious flags. The goal is to survive with all 3 of your flags if you can. Even if you lose a flag, you can still finish the race as a human (runner). Along the race there are Safe Zones where you can pick up an extra life flag along with water. The Decatur Running Club’s official site says to “Prepare for walkers, runners, crawlers… and some surprises. Choose to become a member of the Zombie Horde instead, and polish your human hunting skills while adorned in true flesh-eating fashion!”

Plan to arrive at least 60 Minutes prior to your wave, 1 1/2 hours if you are a zombie and need makeup. Allow enough time for parking, check in, t-shirt and flag pick up.

If you’re wondering if this is just a Decatur thing, it’s not. There are Zombie Runs that occur all over the United States. They even have rules such as do not flag, guard, hit, trip, tackle, push, grab, or intentionally harm another runner or Zombie. Zombies are not allowed to touch runners, just flags! Only take 1 flag per runner, and always obey the rules. If you violate a rule, you will be removed from the event immediately without a refund.   

How does one make it out alive of one these courses? Well according to them, the first rule of the Zombie Apocalypse is cardio. You should train at least a little. Run, and maybe get a really mean dog to chase you….That’s what they suggest and make sure to have fun. If you missed the Zombie 5k run this year, there is always next year to give it a go. If you’re looking to register and/or simply just want to watch a Zombie Run in action check out 5krundead.com and  the5kzombierun.com/.